


Oh Darling

by theimpossiblepossiblegirl



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Non-detailed mention of past abuse, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 13:37:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 90,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4307130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimpossiblepossiblegirl/pseuds/theimpossiblepossiblegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose and the Doctor have been friends since they were kids.  This story takes place during their University days. The Doctor finally realizes, thanks to Mickey, that he has feelings for Rose while Martha, Donna, and Jack encourage Rose to tell the Doctor how she feels. But what happens when Rose needs to find a new place to live for her last year at University and the Doctor finds himself in need of a new roommate?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue. We find out what happened to our favorite characters before they actually started at University and how Jackie and Pete got back together.

When Rose Tyler turned seventeen, everything changed at once. Well, it seemed to her that everything changed at once. Her parents had separated right before her first birthday and she never saw her father again. At least, not in person. Sure, she had seen him on the news, read about him on the internet. That man though, wasn’t her father. She wasn’t sure who he was. Just after her seventeenth birthday, her father stopped by the flat she lived in with her mother. After some arguing, a couple of well-meaning and well deserved slaps, Peter Tyler walked into the flat he had left sixteen years before.

Her mother always told her that they never had any money. Her father was always trying to come up with the next big idea, but nothing was working. Not wanting to be a failure to his family, he left. Now though, he had several big ideas, all which took off. He had money. They had money. He wanted to fix his family, get to know them all over again. Rose didn’t want any part of it. They were doing fine without him. Sure, most months were tight, but they were okay. Her mother wanted to give him a second chance. She hadn’t moved on from him and it didn’t seem like he moved on from her. Rose left the flat that morning and didn’t come back until later that night.

Around the same time her father came back, Rose met this bloke, Jimmy Stone. Her mother wasn’t happy about this relationship and warned her against it, but Rose wasn’t listening. He was four years older than her and was in a band. One he told her she could join. All she had to do was drop out of school and live with him. He would take care of her. Or so he said. That night, she packed up some clothes and left a note for her mum, letting her know she left and wouldn’t be back. She didn’t want to stick around to see her father walk out on them again.

Rose being away from home lasted six months. During this time, she was working at a local chippy to support Jimmy and herself. Apparently his band wasn’t taking off any time soon and he had been using her. He was abusive of her at times, but she mostly deflected the punches, the kicks, and the broken bottles that flew at her. The last straw was when he tried to get her to sleep with him and she wouldn’t. He tried to pin her down, but she wasn’t having it. That night ended with her calling the cops, Jimmy being arrested for attempted murder, a trip to the hospital, and Rose making up with her mother.

While she was away from her mother, Rose had only spoken to James. She tried reaching out to Mickey, but it was hard to talk to him about everything, so after the second call, she stopped. Whenever she could, she would call the Doctor, and either talk to him for a bit, or leave a message just so he knew she was alright. She felt bad that she left, but her pride was keeping her away. Most of them agreed with Jackie, that Jimmy was bad news. This was especially difficult for her best mate James. They had known each other since they were in Nursery School. While James didn’t grow up on the Powell Estate, they did go to the same school. Their other mate, Mickey, tried to find her while she was gone, but no one knew where Jimmy lived.

While she hadn’t slept with Jimmy, she lived through quite a lot with him. He was physically abusive with her. She remembers all the times she had to cover up bruises on her face and arms, making sure no one asked any questions. The two times she ended up in the emergency room with broken ribs and a third time in the emergency room with a broken wrist. After that incident, it had been hard for her to work, but she had managed. She didn’t want to make Jimmy even angrier. He was always telling her that no one else would want her, that she wasn’t good enough for anything. This wasn’t how he was when they first got together; she wasn’t sure why he had changed.

Six months later, she was turning eighteen. She had gone back to school, received her A Levels, and was making plans with her mates to attend university. In those same six months, Rose learned that her parents were back together, were getting re-married, and we expecting a baby. While Rose was happy for them, she was a bit upset that they were starting their lives over again, just without her. Pete tried to involve her with as much as he could, but there was only so much that Rose was willing to help with. When she helped, it was only because her mother had asked her to. It took Rose a bit of time to get use to everything again. The birth of her baby brother helped. She was very excited to be a big sister, even if there were eighteen years between them.

Right before Rose went off to university, Pete and Jackie bought a house for them to live in. It was a bit farther away in Londo, but Rose knew she would probably only be there on Holidays and during the summers. Rose helped them move in and got her new brother, Tony, settled in before she set off for university. The night before she was leaving, Pete pulled her aside to make sure she was okay with everything.

“Rose?”

Rose looked up from the step she was sitting on outside to see her father standing by the back door. It was only after Tony was born that she started calling him dad. It was still foreign to her, but she was willing to give it a try. She had been working all of her summers and whatever time she wasn’t taking her A Levels just so she could go to school. “Yeah?”

Pete walked over to her and sat next to her on the step. “I want you to know, your mother and I are proud of you. I know a lot of things happened at once for you and while I know now you regret some of them, we’re still proud of you, no matter what.”

Giving him a watery smile, Rose leaned over and hugged him. While she was growing up, her mother had said similar things to her, it meant so much coming from him. “Thanks, Dad.”

Hugging her back, he looked down at her. “I also want you to know that your mother and I talked it over and we want to pay for your schooling. I don’t want you to worry about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I know you want to pay for the flat, but if you need help, let us know. We don’t want you to worry about school, though. I wasn’t there for you when you were growing up, I would like to be there for you now, if you’ll let me.”

“Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks, Dad.”

When Rose left the next morning, she felt better. Better than she had in a long time. She had called her mate Martha, whom she had met while taking her A Levels earlier in the year, to see if she would like to get a flat together to avoid having a strange roommate. She had agreed and along with James and Mickey, they set off to find a flat to rent out, near the school. James and Mickey had decided to share a flat as well, and were lucky enough to find one in the same building as the girls. With plans made early in the summer, Rose was glad she could enjoy the time before she started university without worrying about everything that was coming up.

“Ready, Love?”

Rose turned around and gave her mum a smile. “Yeah, I am. You gonna be alright without me?”

“’Course I will. Your dad and Tony will be here. You have fun and study. Call me every day.”

Laughing softly, she gave her mum a tight hug. “I will. Love you.”

“Love you too. Now go, it’s a long drive.”

Pete was going to drive her up and get her unpacked in the flat. At least all she had to worry about was her clothes and some personal items. The bed was already there and set up. Thankfully Martha had moved in a few days ago and was there for the setup.

Later that day after she was done unpacking and Pete had left, it was just Rose and Martha in the flat. Going out to the living room where Martha was hanging some pictures up. They decided to make the common areas as welcoming as possible. Both had selected some pictures and art work out to hang up. While it wasn’t home, it would be her home away from home for the next few years.

“So what should we do on our first night?” Rose asked her with a grin.

Martha smiled at her mate from her spot on the couch. “Movies?”

“Sounds perfect to me!” Rose flopped on the couch next to Martha, excited about all the changes that were bound to happen over the next few years.


	2. When You Need Me Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place about three and a half years after the prologue. Martha has some news for Rose which causes her a bit of stress. When the Doctor finds out, he offers her a bit of assistance. Before she can accept though, she tells him she needs to think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing.

Rose and Martha were leaving their Women’s Literature class one sunny Thursday afternoon. With two more weeks of the module approaching, the girls were busy studying and revising. They were making plans for the summer when Martha broached the subject of flat-mates for the summer and the following year.

“Rose?”

“Yeah?”

Martha wasn’t sure how to tell her mate her news and had been holding off on telling her for the past few weeks. “Now that Mickey and I are engaged, we thought it would be a good idea to move in together.”

Rose smiled brightly, shifting her books around. “I think that’s a brilliant idea.”

“Yeah?” Martha studied her mate for a few moments before stopping them from walking. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable with the living arrangements though.”

“Don’t worry about it Martha. I should probably find something on my own. I’ll see if there is anything in the building that has a one bedroom available.”

“Are you sure? We don’t want to kick you out.”

“You’re not. I don’t want to be in your way, or the third wheel.” She joked, shrugging her shoulders. She knew this was coming and was surprised it took her mate this long to tell her. She was happy for them, really.

“Oh Rose, no you wouldn’t be. I swear. Mickey and I talked it over, we want you to stay, if you’d like.”

“ROSE!” Both Rose and Martha turned their heads to see who was screaming Rose’s name. James Noble came running down the lawn over to the end of the corridor where Rose and Martha were standing.

Martha smiled fondly, watching Rose as she giggled at the Doctor’s antics. “Here’s trouble.”

“Leave him be.” Rose told Martha before The Doctor swept her up in a tight hug, Rose’s one arm going around his neck, as the other held her books. “Oi, what’s got you all hyped up?”

The Doctor pulled back, giving her his face-splitting grin. “I finished it! I need to show you!”

“Finished what?”

“It’s a surprise. Are you done for the day?” He asked her, setting her back down on the ground.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Great, let’s go.”

Rose smiled at Martha, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ll think about what we talked about, yeah? I’ll let you know by Monday.”

Martha smiled softly, nodding her head. “Take your time. And Doctor? Don’t get her into any trouble.”

He only grinned in reply before taking Rose’s hand. “No promises.” Turning to look at Rose he winked playfully at her. “Run!”

Martha watched as the pair took off towards where Martha could only guess was the flats. While she knew Rose had feelings for the Doctor and was pretty sure the Doctor had feelings for her, she knew neither one of them would say anything. She knew though, it was hard for Rose to admit anything to him. Between secondary school and now university, The Doctor had had several girlfriends. While Rose didn’t say anything, their mates could see it in her eyes how much she wanted to admit to the Doctor how she felt. After everything with Jimmy, Rose was reluctant to be in a new relationship. She just hoped one of them confessed before it was too late.

Back at The Doctor’s apartment, they were sitting in the spare bedroom, or what The Doctor had turned in to his experiment room. Across the table and his work bench he had so many parts for different appliances, at least three different computers, and at last count, four televisions.

“So what did you want to show me?”

“Remember I was trying to build a sonic screwdriver?”

Rose giggled softly, shaking her head. “I told you a screwdriver can’t be sonic.”

“Oh Rose Tyler, ye of little faith.” The Doctor pulled out from one of his boxes on the table. It was a long instrument, that didn’t appear to look anything like a screw driver. “All you have to do is flip the switch and this baby can cut through rope, glass, and hair, anything you can think of!”

“Can it get through wood?”

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head. “I haven’t quite figured that out.”

“’S Alright. Maybe one day. Can you show me what it can do?”

He turned the instrument on and held it against some glass he had on the table. After a few minutes when nothing happened, he tried to shake it, only for the thing to start smoking. With a yelp, he placed it down on the table and backed up. “Maybe it wasn’t completely ready.”

Rose gave him a smile and looped her arm through his. “You can try again, yeah?”

The Doctor gave her a smile, shrugging his shoulders. “I will, yeah.” Leading her out of the room, he walked with her into the living room, away from the still smoking object.

“Is it safe to leave that thing?”

“It’ll be fine. It shouldn’t catch fire.”

“That’s not reassuring, James.”

With a pout, he walked back into the room and patted out the smoke until he knew it would be okay. Going back into the living room a few minutes later he saw Rose sitting on the couch, waiting for him. “So what were you and Martha talking about?”

“When?”

“Before, when I came to get you.”

“Oh. She told me that she and Mickey decided to move in together at the end of this year, when the lease is up on the flat.”

“So what will you do?” He questioned softly, sitting next to her.

“She said that I could stay. But I don’t want to get in their way, you know?”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

“She said the same thing, but they should spend some time by themselves. ‘Sides, I can’t stay with Martha forever. I will have to be on my own eventually. I’ll see if there is a one bedroom in the building for rent and apply.”

The Doctor frowned a bit, leaning back against the couch. He knew she still had issues with staying by herself, after everything that happened with Jimmy. They both knew he wasn’t getting out of jail, but he wanted her to feel comfortable on her own. “What if you moved in with me?”

“What?” Rose questioned as she poked him in the arm, studying him.

“Well, Mickey is moving out, as you said. I can’t really be trusted by myself, can I?”

Rose giggled softly, shaking her head. “No, I guess not. That’s a lot to offer though, James. It’ll be for a whole year.”

“You’re over here all the time though Rose, even with you just being upstairs. At least think about it?”

“Yeah, I will. I have to talk to my mum and dad too, see what they think. You’ll have to talk Reinette too.” She reminded him quietly.

“Don’t worry about Reinette, Rose.” He knew how much Reinette disliked Rose and while he could never understand it, he always tried to get them to be mates. They were both important to him.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather live with her?”

“I’m sure. You’re my best mate Rose. We’ve still got a year left before we have to head into the real world, I’d like to spend as much time with you now before you get too busy for me.”

“Oh James, you know that won’t happen. I’ll always try to make time for you.” Rose gave him a bright smile before leaning over to hug him. “Talk to her first, then decide.”

Returning her hug he nodded his head, pulling her against his chest.

Looking at her watch, Rose stood up, biting on her lip. “I have to go. I’m heading home tomorrow morning for the weekend to see Tony for his birthday and I still need to pack some stuff.”

“What time is your train?”

“Early. Half six.”

“Want me to drop you off?”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to. It’s early. I know you have classes tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t mind. You could get your stuff and come back here. Leave by six? Besides, Mickey said he was going to stay at yours tonight with Martha, anyway.”

Rose nodded her head softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “That works for me. I’ll be back soon, yeah?”

The Doctor nodded his head quickly, giving her a smile. “I’ll order dinner.”

Rose kissed his cheek in thanks before she left his flat. If he had asked her two years ago to move in with him, she would have jumped at the chance. But now? Now she wasn’t sure she wanted to put herself through all that. She will though. After all, The Doctor is her best mate and he seemed to want her to live with him. She would just need to toughen up, move on from her silly little crush. Walking into the apartment she shared with Martha, she looked around to see if she was home. Spotting her in the kitchen, she leaned against the counter, watching as Martha typed furiously on her laptop.

“James said I could live with him.”

“Really?” Martha looked up, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah. Said since Mickey is leaving and he figures he shouldn’t be alone, he asked me to live with him.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I would have to think about it.”

“What do you want to say?”

“Yes, I suppose. It’s just hard, you know?”

“I’m surprised he didn’t want to live with The Tart.”

Giggling softly at the nickname Martha came up with for Reinette, Rose shook her head. “I asked and it didn’t seem like he wants to.”

“They’ve been together almost a year.”

“Yeah, almost. He told me he doesn’t love her. It may not last much longer.”

“He told you that?”

“Yeah, he did. We tell each other basically everything. I just avoid girly topics with him and save those for you, Donna, Amy, and Clara.”

“How thoughtful.” Martha remarked dryly. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, I think so. If it ends badly, then it does. I’ll just sleep on your sofa until I can find something.” She replied, cheekily.

“Mickey’ll kill him if he hurts you.”

“I know. James won’t though.”

“You’re right. You are the only one that can get away with calling him James.”

Rose blushes, shrugging her shoulders. “So do you think I should go live with him?”

“I think so. You’ll keep him out of trouble.”

“That’s what he said too. Will you and Mickey stay here?”

“Nah, I think we’ll try to find a one bedroom flat. Save money. We’re hoping to find a one bedroom here.”

“At least that way you’ll still be close to campus.”

“Yeah and all our mates are either here or on the other side of campus. It’ll be nice to be close to everyone still.” Martha gave her mate a smile, shrugging her shoulders.

“It’ll be great still having you close by.” Rose gave her a quick smile before looking at her watch. “I have to go pack. James said I can crash with him and he’ll take me to the station in the morning. I’ll see you on Sunday, yeah?”

Martha nodded her head in agreement. “Yes. Dinner at the usual place?”

“Yeah. Bring Mickey with you, if you want.”

“I will.” Rose gave her one last smile before she headed into her room to gather her stuff for the weekend. After she was done packing and changing into her pajamas, she said goodbye to Martha and headed back downstairs to The Doctor’s apartment. With a brief knock on the door she let herself in before putting her bad down by the couch. Looking around she spotted The Doctor in the kitchen on the phone, in what appeared to be a heated discussion. Making herself comfortable on the couch, she curled up against the arm, leaning her body against the back.

Once The Doctor was done on the phone he walked into the living room, putting his phone on the coffee table. “You all set then?” He questioned as he sat next to her.

Nodding her head, she pursed her lips, watching him. “Yeah, I am. Thanks for taking me in the morning.”

“It’s no problem. Dinner should be here soon.”

“Good, I’m starving. How much do I owe you?” She leaned back over the couch, reaching for her purse.

The Doctor watched as she leaned over, not fully hearing her. “Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it. I owe you from last time.”

Rose nodded her head, giving him a quick smile before she put her purse back. “Thanks. Can we watch something on television until it gets here?”

“Sure.” The Doctor handed her the remote, frowning a bit. “Rose?”

“Yeah?” Taking the remote from him she turned the television on and started to flip through the channels.

“I, uh, spoke to Reinette while you were up with Martha.” He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends a bit.

Rose knew he did this when he was frustrated or upset. In this case, she couldn’t tell. Biting her lip, she focused her attention on him. “What did she have to say?”

“I told her about my offer about you moving in. She was a bit upset that I didn’t ask her to move in. I explained that neither of us is ready for that. She, uh, also said she didn’t want me living with you. Said it wouldn’t be right.”

While she hadn’t said yes, to moving in to his flat, she had been leaning towards it and was excited about it. Looking down at her hands she frowned, her eyebrows creasing together. “Oh. Well, I mean I could understand that. Like I said before, I’ll call the building and see if there are anymore one bedroom flats. Or I can try across campus where Amy and Clara are. S’okay James.”

“Rose, no, I’d love for you to stay here. I’ll talk to Reinette and get this fixed.” He slunk down in the couch, running his fingers through his hair, tugging at bit at it.

Rose turned her head a bit, squeezing her eyes closed briefly. After she collected herself, she stood up, giving him a wide smile; her fake smile. “It’s fine. I don’t want to cause a fight with you two, yeah?” Grabbing her phone she waved it at him briefly. “It’s early yet. I’ll call and leave a message.” Hearing the doorbell ring she shrugged her shoulders and gestured to his room letting him know she was going in there.

The Doctor sighed, shaking his head. He couldn’t understand what it was with Reinette and Rose, why Reinette disliked her so much. He knew while Rose didn’t quite know her, didn’t not like her. Every time they were round each other, Rose was always nice. Answering the door, The Doctor paid the take away guy and put the food down on the table before he got plates out.

The Doctor was setting the table when Rose came out of his room. She gave him a small smile before walking over to him for a hug. “’M sorry.”

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. Reinette is never going to like me, I just have to accept that. If she makes you happy though, I’m okay with that.” Rose hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“I’ll talk to her. This is getting ridiculous. I’ve known you since I’m three! That’s a lot of years, Rose.”

Giggling softly, she pulled from the hug, giving him a smile. “The building manager said there were only a couple one bedroom flats. Said there were a few names before mine, so you may just be stuck with me.”

“Stuck with you? I’ve been stuck with worse.”

Sticking her tongue out at him, she pinched his side before sitting down at the table.

“I’m going to end up bruised by the end of this.” He remarked, sitting next to her.

“Nah, I’ll go easy on you.”

After they finished eating and Rose helped the Doctor clean up their mess. Since they both had to be up early the next morning, they decided to call it an early night. As Rose set the couch up for her bed, she saw the Doctor lurking in the hallway. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Walking out to the living room, he handed her a wrapped box. “I got this for Tony for his birthday. Can you give it to him for me?”

“Of course I will James. I’ll have him Skype you on Saturday to say thanks.” Rose gave him her tongue in teeth smile, putting the preset with her stuff. “If you want to watch television, I don’t mind sharing the couch. I know you can’t always sleep right away.”

“I’ll keep it low.” Truthfully, he just wanted to spend some more time with her. Between both their jobs and school, and everything, they hadn’t seen each other for longer than an hour a week at most for the past month. He was lucky he caught her on a day she didn’t have to work.

“M’kay. Just don’t mind my feet in your lap.” Turning the lights off, she handed him the remote before laying down on the couch.

“I never do.” The Doctor followed her over and sat down with her feet in his lap. Finding a documentary on television he turned the volume down a bit so it wouldn’t keep her up. Laying his arm across her legs, he relaxed into the couch.

Right before Rose fell asleep she turned her head to watch James. With a small smile on her lips, she let out a yawn. “James?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me we’ll always be best mates.”

He turned to look at her, a smile on his face. “Oh don’t you worry, Rose Tyler. That is one promise I intend to keep forever.”

Giggling softly, she snuggled down under the blankets, closing her eyes. “Good, me too.”

 


	3. Just Take a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose goes home to visit her parents and Tony while the Doctor stays behind to talk to Reinette. When things don't go the way he thought they would, the Doctor decides to take a trip to get his mind off of everything.

The next morning, the Doctor dropped Rose off at the train station. With a promise to call him when she got there, Rose hugged him goodbye. The Doctor made his way back to his flat. He knew he needed to speak to Reinette soon, hopefully he would be able to see her today. When he had spoken to her the day before, he didn’t like how she was acting. They had been together for seven months at that point and wasn’t sure how much longer he wanted to be with her. When they first met in the beginning of the school year in his statistics class, he was intrigued. She had asked him for some help with one of the assignments and from there, they became mates. By November, he decided to ask her out and a few weeks later, they were exclusive.

Around Christmas, he was getting ready to go with Martha and Mickey to visit Rose for the holiday. When Reinette found out, she begged him to go with her to visit her parents. While he didn’t feel comfortable meeting her family, he ended up going, but just for Christmas Eve. He knew his mates were upset, but he also wanted to get to know Reinette better and spend some time with her. When he showed up and Pete and Jackie’s for Christmas Day, everyone was a bit surprised. Rose was a bit distant with him until he was able to pull her aside and apologize. He had enjoyed his time with Reinette, but wasn’t happy and was glad he could spend the actual day with his mates. He ended up going to visit his sister, Donna and their grandfather, Wilf on Boxing Day, with Rose.

Walking into his flat, the Doctor tossed his keys on the counter, checking the time. After a quick shower and breakfast it was half seven and he needed to be on campus for class by eight. Making sure he had his books, he called Reinette and left a message, asking for her to come around to his flat after her last class, which was out later then his own. He had one class today and would be a Teacher’s Assistant for another class, in the computer lab. Hopefully everything would go well that night with Reinette.

The Doctor headed back to his flat around half one. Reinette would be there around two in the afternoon. He had received a message from Rose around half ten, letting him know she got there okay. They had texted for a brief while during his break and she seemed to be okay after their conversation last night.

A few minutes before two, he heard a knock on his door. Going over to open it, he smiled, seeing Reinette. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before letting her in. “Do you want something to drink?”

Reinette shook her head, sitting down on the couch. “No, thank you. What did you want to talk about? I assume this has to do with our conversation last night?”

“Yeah it does. Why aren’t you okay with Rose staying here? She’s my best mate, I’ve known her for years.”

“Because, James, it is not proper for you to be living with her.”

“Not proper?” He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. He really hated when she called him James. When they first met, she called him Doctor, but once she found out his actual name, she insisted on calling him that. Rose was the only one that could call him James. “I get it. Your family prefers you to either be in a relationship with someone or live with someone of the same gender. I’m not your family.”

“If you insist on sharing this flat with someone, I do not see why I cannot move in.”

“I don’t want to live with you Reinette. We’ve only been together seven months. I’m not ready for that.”

“You’re willing to live with Rose though.”

“I’ve known Rose since I’m three. That’s almost my whole my life. It’s different.”

“Well, as your girlfriend, I forbid it.”

“Forbid it? Forbid it!? You can’t forbid me from doing anything, Reinette. You don’t own me.” At this point, James was pacing up and down the living room, in front of the couch.

“I know that. As your girlfriend though, I thought you would show me some respect and accept my views about this matter. I do not want her living here with you.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t be together.”

“Certainly you do not mean that.” Reinette frowned, standing up. She crossed her arms over her chest and blocked his path so he couldn’t pace. “Have not these past seven months meant anything to you?”

He stopped and took a step back so there was five feet of space between them. “Ever since we’ve been together, I’ve seen less of my mates and more of yours. You’ve never accepted my mates.”

“They are hardly your friends, James, they are using you.”

“Using me? You don’t know them. You’ve never even wanted to know them.” He sighed, shaking his head. “We’re over, Reinette. This is the best thing for the both of us. You need to leave.”

“You do not mean that, James.”

“My name is Doctor, not James.”

“No, your nickname is Doctor. Your name is James.”

“The only one that can call me that is Rose. I’ll ask you again, Reinette, please leave.”

Seeing that there was no way she was going to get through to him, she huffed and headed towards the door. Opening it, she looked back at him. “You will regret this. When you come crawling back, do not expect me to be there.”

“I won’t. This is the last time you’ll see me. Goodbye, Reinette.”

Letting out an angry growl, she left the flat, slamming the door behind her.

The Doctor was just glad Mickey wasn’t home for this. He felt better now. Sure, he wasn’t happy that she wouldn’t accept Rose and the rest of his mates, but they have always been there for him. He wasn’t going to let someone like Reinette ruin that for him. With a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair again, making it stick up in all directions. He didn’t want to end things with Reinette. Well, not really. If he were being completely honest with himself, he did, but not like that. Shaking his head, he made his way into his room to do his homework.

Later that night, Mickey walked into the flat, surprised he didn’t see the Doctor out in the living room. “Oi, Doctor, are you here?” Tossing his keys on the counter, he turned the light on in the living room.

Walking out from his room, he took his glasses off and stuck them in his pocket. “Yeah, I’m home. What’s going on?”

“Martha said you talked to Rose about me and Martha living together?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks for telling me, by the way.”

“I was going to, I swear.”

The Doctor waived him off, sitting on the stool by the counter. “Its fine, Mickey. I’m just happy for you two.”

“Thanks. I won’t be able to leave until the least on this place is up to be renewed. Martha and I are planning on finding a one-bedroom, either here or the other complex on the other side of the campus.”

“Rose said there were a few one-bedroom flats coming up here. Said there was a list of people waiting.”

“Yeah, Martha said she put our names down. How does Rose know there’s one-bedrooms available?”

“She called and asked. There was a bit of a disagreement about everything and she called to see.”

“Everything is fine now, though?”

“I think so. I’ll talk to her again about it on Sunday or Monday.”

“Did you tell Reinette?”

“Yes, I did.” He informed him, in a clipped tone.

“Guess that didn’t go well?”

“Not really, no. I’ve ended things with her.” He shrugged, leaning back against the counter.

“Because she didn’t want you to live with Rose?”

“She told me she forbade me from living with her. Wanted to move in with me. Said some stuff about my mates that I didn’t agree with so I ended it.”

“Can’t say I’m sorry to see her go.”

“Really? You too?”

“Look, I get she made you happy. She was rude to all of us, whenever you were around. Rose in particular.”

“I still don’t see why.”

Mickey shook his head, a smile on his face. “She was threatened by Rose.”

“Rose never made any threats against her.”

“Not like that. You and Rose are close. When you’re dating someone and you have a female best mate, they sometimes feel like they have to compete with the best mate.” Mickey shrugged his shoulders. “It’s something Martha explained to me once. Said it was the same for girls.”

The Doctor frowned, thinking about what Mickey said. Sure, he spent a lot of time with Rose, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have relationships. He was with Joan for two years before they split up. That was a mutual decision though. Joan and Rose got along, for the most part. “Do I spend too much time with Rose?”

“No, you don’t. You haven’t even been around Rose much since you started seeing Reinette.” Mickey cleared his throat, watching the Doctor. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you fancy Rose?”

“What?! No, I don’t fancy Rose.” Did he? The Doctor frowned a bit, thinking about Mickey’s question. He liked spending time with her, doing different things with her. They went to the movies often, plays, and would hang out together. But she was his best mate. A lot of best mates did things like that together. Sure at some points he would rather hang out with Rose then the woman he was dating, but he could talk to Rose about everything. There were just some things he didn’t want to talk to other people about. The only other person that knew almost everything about him was Donna. Maybe he did fancy her.

“Are you sure?”

“Would it be so bad if I did fancy her?”

“No. You two would be good together. After everything the two of you went through, I think you’re both what the other needs.”

“You’re acting like Rose fancies me.”

“She might. I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her or Martha.”

“I’m not going to ask Rose that!”

“Do you want me to ask Martha?”

“No. I’ll figure this out. Thanks, Mickey.”

“Anytime. I’m going down to Martha’s. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I might not be here. You’ll see me by Sunday though.”

“Martha and I are going to dinner with Rose. Do you want to go?”

“Sure. Just let me know when.”

“Will do.” Mickey grabbed his stuff and headed out of the flat, going to see Martha.

The Doctor turned the lights off and locked up the flat. It had been a crazy day and all he wanted to do was crash. Maybe tomorrow he would see if he could surprise Rose and go visit her. He would see how she was doing after they spoke on Skype.

The Doctor woke up what he thought was late the next morning. A result of him overthinking everything Mickey said last night to him. Checking his phone, he saw he had a message from Rose from ten minutes ago.

_Morning, sleepyhead! Tony and I are waiting on Skype for you. – R_

Smiling softly, he sent her a quick text back. _Sorry. I’m turning the computer on now. – J_

Grabbing his laptop, he turned it on before leaning up against his headboard, rubbing his eyes to try to feel more awake. He launched the Skype application and signed in. Looking for Rose’s name he called her, waiting for her to pick up. A moment later he was greeted with Tony’s face.

“Doktah!” The four year old giggled, leaning back against his sister.

“T-man! Happy Birthday! Did you have a good day yesterday with Rose?”

Nodding his head, his eyes wide with excitement. “Wose taked me to the zoo! She said we going to the park later after lunch.”

The Doctor smiled fondly at the boy. “Sounds like you’re having a busy weekend.”

“Yeah.” Rose whispered something to him, giving a smile to the Doctor when she saw he could see her. “Oh! Thanks for the wacecar. I’ve been playing with it all morning.”

“You’re welcome. Next time I come down, will you show me how to use it?”

Tony’s eyes lit up, a wide grin taking up his face. “Yeah! I wish you were here now though.”

“So do I, buddy. I had some things I needed to take care of here otherwise I would have come down with Rose.”

“Really?”

“Really. A fourth birthday is something special to be celebrated.”

Jackie called for Tony and he waved a quick goodbye to the Doctor before leaving Rose’s room. Grabbing her laptop, Rose smiled at the Doctor, seeing how exhausted he looked. “Hi.”

He gave her a smile and a small wave. “Hello.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t look like you’re fine. Were you up all night working on that screwdriver again?”

Laughing softly, he shook his head. “No. Was taking care of something else.” He frowned a bit, rubbing his eyes.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“I could use one of your hugs.”

Rose gave him a bright smile. “Next time I see you, you’ll get one.”

“I’d like that.”

“Would you mind then picking me up on Sunday? If you’re not busy.”

“I’m not. What time?”

“Should be in around five.”

“I’ll be there. Did you talk to your parents about moving?”

“I talked to Dad, not Mum. I will later. He said he would rather I moved with you then on my own. He knows I still struggle.”

“I’m sorry, Rose.”

Shaking her head, she tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. “Not your fault. Were you able to talk to Reinette?”

“Yeah, I was. I’ll tell you about it on Sunday though. Mickey invited me to dinner with you and Martha.”

“Did he? I’m glad he did, I was going to ask you myself though Sunday.”

“Way to plan something last minute Rose.”

Giggling softly, Rose shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry James.”

“You’ll make it up to me.”

“Yeah? How so?”

“I’ll think of something.”

Giving him a soft smile, she brushed her hair back from her face. “You should get some more rest, okay? I’ll try and call you later, see how you are.”

“I’ll try. You’d better call me, Tyler.” He narrowed his eyes in jest, giving her a mock challenge.

“Oh don’t you worry, Noble, I will.” Waving to him, Rose gave him one last smile before ending the call. She really hoped he was okay and that everything worked out with Reinette. She didn’t want to be the cause of a fight between the two of them.

Checking his clock, the Doctor saw it was just after nine. Blimey, she had woken him up early. It wasn’t as late as he thought. Maybe visiting Rose wouldn’t be a bad idea. If he left now, he would get there by two the latest, depending on the trains. With his mind made up, he quickly took a shower, got dressed, and threw some clothes in a bag. Driving over to the station, he parked in the lot and went into the booth to get a ticket. He looked at his watch and saw he had ten minutes to wait for the train. Since he was able to get on the express, he would be there by one. A few minutes later, he saw the train pulling up. Hopefully he would be able to sleep on the train. He found a spot in the first car and settled in for the trip.

Arriving in London, a few hours later, the Doctor was woken up by one of the other passengers. Thanking them, he grabbed his bag and headed out. He knew it was only a few blocks to Rose’s parents’ house so he made the journey on foot. He probably should have told Rose he was coming, but he hadn’t really thought about that until he got there. Stuffing his free hand in his pocket, he made his way over to the house. She wasn’t far from where his Aunt and Grandfather lived and he thought he could visit them as well, if he had the time. He hadn’t seen them since Christmas, except for the occasion phone call. Last he heard from Donna, Gramps was doing okay. He would make plans to spend a couple of weeks visiting with them once the module was over. Once he found the house, he went up the door and rang the bell.

From inside, Rose was just heading into the kitchen when she heard the bell. “I’ll get it!” While they weren’t expecting anyone, Jackie’s mates did like to pop over at odd times. Opening the door, she was surprised to see the Doctor standing there. “James! What are you doing here?” Not waiting for him to answer, she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug, holding on tightly.

Dropping his bag on the ground, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her closer to his body. “Would you believe I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow for a hug?”

Giggling softly, she shook her head. “Coming from you? Yeah, I would.” Pulling back from the hug a bit she studied his face. “You’ll tell me what’s wrong, yeah?”

Nodding his head, he pulled her in for one more hug before he let her go. “Later, I will.” He picked up his bag, giving her a sheepish smile.

“Well, come in. We were just going to have lunch.” Taking his hand, she pulled him into the house with her closing the door behind him. “Mum?”

“In the kitchen, Love.”

Walking into the kitchen, Rose smiled at her mum. “Is it okay if I have a guest over for lunch?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Who is it?”

“James.” Rose moved a bit, pulling the Doctor into the kitchen with her.

“What’s he doing here?” Jackie frowned a bit, seeing that her daughter’s mate look exhausted. “Not that I mind, of course. You know you’re always welcome here.”

Rose turned to him, giving him a bright smile. “Mum is just surprised is all. Go sit. Tony should be down soon.” Rose went into the kitchen to help her mum with lunch.

True to her word, Tony came down the stairs a few minutes later. The Doctor didn’t say anything, he just watched as Tony walked over to the table. Once Tony spotted him, the Doctor gave the boy a smile.

“Doktah!” He ran over to his sister’s mate, crashing into him.

“Oof!” The Doctor picked the boy up and sat him in the chair next to his, ruffling up his hair up a bit. “How was the zoo yesterday?”

As Tony launched into his story about the zoo yesterday, Rose was in the kitchen with her mum. Jackie was trying to get out of Rose why he was here. Rose wished she knew herself.

“Do you know why he’s here?”

“No, I don’t. I think I have an idea, but until he tells me later, I don’t know. Is it okay if he stays the night? Looks like he had a bag with him.”

“Of course, Rose. He’s a good kid. He looked upset before.”

“I think it’s my fault.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, Martha and Mickey are moving in together as soon as our leases as up this year.”

“How does that mean he’s upset with you?”

“Not at me. I already talked to Dad about this. Since Mickey and Martha and moving in together, I didn’t want to stay with them as a third wheel, you know? I was talking to James about it and he asked me to move in with him. He knows I still don’t like to be on my own for long.”

“Still? Rose, that was four years ago.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she shook her head. “Mum, I know that. Look, Jimmy hurt me. Mentally and physically. He told me every time that if I told anyone, he was going to come and get me. I know he can’t, he’s in jail. I’m still scared.”

Jackie wrapped her arms around her daughter in a hug, shaking her head. “Oh Rose, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just worry about you. I just want you to be okay.”

Hugging her mum back, Rose closed her eyes. “I know, mum. I am. Everything else, I’m okay. James understands and wants to be there for me.” Pulling away from the hug, she wiped her eyes. “I think he got into a fight with Reinette over it and that’s why he’s here. I’ll talk to him later.”

Jackie smiled at her daughter, nodding her head. “Well, I think it’s a brilliant idea. Just make sure you’re sleeping in separate rooms.”

“Mum! We’re not like that.” Rose blushed, finishing the sandwiches she had been making for them. “He’s my best mate.”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“He doesn’t look at me in any special way. Let it go.” Taking the plates, Rose walked into the dining room, setting a plate in front of Tony then the Doctor. “Tony, have you been talking James’ ear off?”

“His name is Doktah.”

Rose laughed softly, giving the Doctor a smile. “I think he’s just excited you’re here.”

“It’s okay.” The Doctor let out a laugh, looking over at Tony. “Your sister is right, my name is James. Only she can call me that though.”

Sitting next to the Doctor, Rose put her plate down. “Now you’re asking for more questions.”

Jackie came into the room with two plates. “I’m going to go bring your father lunch. I’ll be upstairs. Tony, mind your sister.”

“I will.” The boy gave his mum a big grin before she went upstairs. Turning to the Doctor he swung his legs back and forth on the chair. “Doktah, will you place wacecaw with me?” He questioned before starting to eat his lunch.

“What happened to the park?” Rose asked him. He had been asking about the park since they went to the zoo.

“I want racecar!”

“Well, only if James wants to play, Tony.”

“Why do you call him James?”

“That’s his name.”

“Nu-uh. His name is Doktah.”

Rose gave the Doctor a helpless look, shrugging her shoulders. He turned to the boy, looking at him. “You know how your first name is Anthony, but everyone calls you Tony?” With a nod from the toddler, the Doctor continued. “Well, my name is James but everyone except Rose calls me the Doctor.”

“Oh!” With his questions answered, the trio went back to eating their lunch, a bemused smile on Rose’s face.

Later that night, after dinner and Tony was asleep, Rose and the Doctor sat on the steps of the back porch. Rose was nursing a cup of tea while the Doctor was looking up into the sky.

“Did today get your mind off everything?” Rose asked him quietly, looking over at him.

Smiling a bit, he looked over at her. “Yeah, it did.”

“Good. Tony was really excited that you came over. Thanks for hanging out with him.”

“It’s no problem. He’s a good kid. Maybe he could come visit over the summer. Give your parents a break.”

Rose gave him a smile, nodding her head. “It would be nice to see him.”

“So does that mean you’ll stay at the flat with me?”

“Yeah, I will. I talked it over with Mum and Dad. They both think it’s a good idea.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

Rose looked down to her cup of tea, shrugging her shoulders. “Yeah, I think so. It’s just, one day I’m going to have to be on my own. While Mum said I can come back here after school, it just doesn’t feel like home, you know? I left for school right after they moved here and I’ve only been back for holidays and a few weeks during summer breaks, but nothing long term.”

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he leaned his head against hers. “You won’t have to worry about that until next year. I’ll help you. Together we’ll figure something out.”

Giving him a small smile, she reached up and squeezed his hand. “Thanks. Now, will you tell me what happened to make you so upset?”

Clearing his throat, he nodded his head a bit, lifting it up. “Reinette came over to talk. We argued, she said some things, I said some things, and I decided it would be better to end it.”

“What did she say?”

“She said that you guys weren’t my friends, that you were using me. She didn’t feel that it was right for me to live with you and tried to forbid me from living with you. I told her it wasn’t her place to decide something like for me.”

“Why would she say something like that?”

“Probably because I was choosing my friends over her in the end.”

“We never saw you anymore. Ask Martha and Mickey.” She told him quietly. “I understood why, didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. I don’t get how she felt like you were choosing us over her.”

“I’m sorry Rose. I didn’t realize it until Mickey said something to me. I won’t let it happen again.”

“You better not.” She teased him gently, leaning in to give him a hug. “I’m sorry you two broke up.”

“It’s alright. I’m not sorry. Though, I am sorry for not being a good friend.”

“You are a good friend. You just got distracted.”

“Do you forgive me?”

“Always.”

He pulled her into a hug, tucking her against his chest. “Plus, she called me James.”

Rose didn’t need to look up to know he was making a face. Laughing softly, she shook her head. “Do you want me to stop calling you James?”

“Never.” He seemed appalled by the thought of her calling him anything other than James.

“Then I won’t.” Pulling back from the hug, she gave him a smile. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should go inside.”

He stood up and held out his hands to help her up. “I was thinking of visiting Gramps over the summer. Do you want to come down with me? I can drop you off here, or you could come with me. I know he’d like to see you.”

Rose took his hands and stood up and moved to go inside. “I’d like to see him. I’ll go with you. How long were you planning on staying?”

Walking inside with her, he shrugged his shoulders. “Probably two weeks.”

“Yeah? That’s usually how long I stay here during the summer. Just need to get the time off from work.”

“Looks like we have a plan then.”

Rose gave him a smile, nodding her head. “I can’t wait to see Donna too.”

“She’ll be happy to see you.”

Gesturing to him to follow her, she walked upstairs to show him the guest room where he would be staying. “I know you don’t always get along with your Aunt. I can ask Mum if you can stay here if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Mum won’t mind. As much as she likes Sylvia, she knows how you two don’t always get along.” Stopping in front of the room, she shrugged her shoulders. “Let me know though.”

“I will. Good night, Rose.”

“Good night, James. I’m right next door if you need me.” She walked into her room, closing the door behind her.

James smiled to himself before walking into the guest room to get some sleep himself.


	4. I'll Always Be There for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor head back to campus. During the train ride, they talk about their futures. We also learn more about the Doctor's past and childhood. After they get home, they spend some more time together to which Rose realizes Martha may have been right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing, except for my mistakes.

The next morning, Rose work before the Doctor and probably Tony. After showering and getting dressed, she made it down the hall to where her father’s home office was. Opening the door quietly, she peaked her head in, seeing that her father was awake and apparently working. “Can I come in?”

Pete looked up and gave her a smile. “Of course.”

Walking in, she pulled one of the chairs up to the desk, sitting down in it. “What are you working on?”

“Nothing that can’t wait. I’m sorry I missed our usual Saturday, I got caught up with work.”

Rose waved him off, shaking her head. “Mum said you were busy. I’ll try to be here during the summer. I’m trying though to get as many hours as I can in at the bookstore to save up.”

“What are you saving up for?”

“For during the year. It was hard at times trying to balance school and work.” She quietly admitted. She had decided to take extra courses the past two years, and would be again in her last year since she decided to complete a double major. Shrugging her shoulders, she gave him a smile. “I’ll be fine though.”

“You could have asked for help.”

“I didn’t want to. I told you and Mum I would be fine and I am. School is over in two weeks and after that, I’ll be fine.” Rose hated asking her parents for help and almost never did. She only asked once, her first year and made sure she paid them back, even when her dad said she didn’t have to.

“Can we help you next year?”

“No, I want to do this. I still have to talk to James to see how much a month rent is going to be. I probably should have asked him before I said yes.” She said, mostly to herself. She didn’t want her parents worrying about her. She would be fine. Shaking her head, she looked at her father, giving him a smile. “How is work going?”

“Everything is fine at Vitex. Having a bit of an issue over at Torchwood though.”

“What issue is that?”

“The new guys we hired to rewire the network crashed something and it’s taking them longer than expected to fix.”

“You should ask James for some advice. He said he rewired the network for the lab on campus. Maybe he could give you some advice.”

“I will.” Turning his computer off, he turned back to his daughter. “What time are you leaving?”

“Probably around noon, or one. I have to check the schedule. Hopefully we can catch the express.” She gave him a grin. “Why, are you anxious to get rid of me?”

“No, I wanted to see how long you were going to be around today.”

“Just for the morning. I’ll try to get two weeks off next month to come and see you. James mentioned wanting to visit Wilf and Donna for a bit, so we’re going to try and come up together. Would you and Mum mind if he crashed here? There’s only so much of Sylvia he can stand before he turns rude.”

“If it means getting you here for two weeks, I don’t mind.”

Rose gave him a bright smile. “Thanks. Maybe one of the days I’m here, we can spend some time just the two of us?” During the past four years, Rose was able to get to know her father better, but some days he was still a stranger to her. They had tried to spend time just the two of them but at first, Pete never knew what to talk to her about. It was either work or school. But then Rose was able to open up to him. Her fear of him leaving them again was here but it wasn’t as bad as it had been in the beginning.

“Yeah, I would like that. Have you thought more about what you want to do when you’re done with school?”

“Sort of. I like the management courses I’m taking but I’m leaning towards the marketing side of it. With that, at least I would be able to see both sides.” Shrugging her shoulders, she bit her lip in thought.

“Rose, your mother and I, we’re both proud of you.”

“Really?” While she was growing up, school wasn’t always the easiest for her and wasn’t able to get the grades she knew she could. Her mum had been proud of her either way, but this time, it felt real. “Thank you.”

“If you want, once you graduate, I think we can find something for you at Vitex. It’ll probably be a bit above entry level.”

“I’d rather start there than anything higher up. Wouldn’t want people thinking I got in because I’m the boss’ daughter.” She joked, giggling softly.

“They won’t think that, everyone over there likes you.”

“You really think I would be good over there?”

“Yes, I do.”

Rose gave him a bright smile before reaching over to hug him. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.” Hugging her back gently, he smiled. He was glad she could talk to him about whatever was going on with her. It hadn’t been easy for either of them in the beginning, but they were doing okay now.

The Doctor knocked quietly on the door before Rose went over to open it. Seeing it was Rose, he smiled softly. “Morning Rose.” He looked over at Pete. “Morning Pete. I came up to get Rose. Tony is up and looking for her.”

“Thanks. I’ll go and see what he needs.” Turning her head, she looked at her father. “I’ll see you downstairs.” Walking past the Doctor, Rose headed downstairs to see what Tony needed.

“Doctor, before you go back, can I speak with you?”

“Sure, Pete.” Going into the office, he closed the door behind him.

“Rose said you rewired the network for the computer lab?”

“Ah yes, I did. Earlier this year. Network crashed in the middle of class. The professor asked me to take a look.”

“I want to make you an offer.”

“What sort of offer?” The Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels.

“After graduation, I’d like to offer you a position at Torchwood.”

“Really?” His eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. “What’s the catch?”

Pete laughed, shaking his head. “No catch. You’ve done a lot for Rose. Besides, we need someone like you at Torchwood. You can say no.”

“Oh, no. I would like that. I’ve heard from quite a few people that it is hard to get a job there.”

“Well, we tend to take the best and with all the stories Rose has told me, I think that’s you.”

“Then yes, I would accept if you offer. I was hoping for a bit of time off between school and starting work though.”

“Oh that’s fine. We can work out the details then.”

The Doctor leaned over and shook hands with Pete before stuffing his hands back in his pockets. “Thanks, Pete.”

“No thanks necessary. There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, I want Rose to take it easy this year. She was so intent on doing the double major, her mother and I didn’t want to stop her. On top of that I know she’s working a lot.”

“Yes, she is. Said she only had the weekend off because she worked the last two weeks straight.”

Pete shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Her mother and I want to pay for her housing this year.”

“Rose won’t let you though, will she?”

“She wouldn’t be Rose if she did.” They both had to smile at that.

“I can talk to her, but perhaps Jackie should?”

“Perhaps. I’ll see if she’ll talk to her.” Pete cleared his throat. “Thank you, for letting her stay with you.”

“Rose, she’s been there for me through a lot. I couldn’t be there for her with Jimmy. Not the way I needed to be. I just want to make sure she’s okay.” The Doctor cleared his throat, looking down at his shoes.

“I know my Rose. She cares about you, more than what she’ll ever admit. Thank you, for caring about her and taking care of her.”

Hearing a knock on the door, the Doctor turned his head towards it, seeing that Rose peaked her head in. “Mum wants to know if you two are coming down to breakfast?”

Pete nodded his head. “Yeah, we are.”

The Doctor walked out and scooped Rose up into a hug, picking her up a bit from the ground.

Laughing softly, Rose wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Missed me?”

“Terribly.”

“Well, come on. I’ll let you sit next to me at the table. You just need to let me down. By the way, there’s an express train that leaves at one which will get us back to the station by half four. It’ll give us time to meet Mickey and Martha.”

“Works for me.” Placing her back on the floor, he grabbed her hand, walking downstairs with her. “What did Tony need you for?”

“He wanted to show me some of the tricks you taught him yesterday with his new racecar. Did you really make it?”

“I did. I had some spare parts. Figured he would like it.”

“He loved it. I think it’s the coolest remote control racecar ever. Think I could get one for my birthday?”

“Can you wait the five months to get it?”

Laughing softly, she gave him a grin. “I think so.” Going over to the table, she sat down with him, listening to Tony telling their Mum what he could do with his new racecar.

The Doctor smiled over at Rose before turning his head to listen to Tony telling Jackie everything the car could do. Mickey was definitely right, he did have feelings for Rose.

Later that afternoon, after promising Tony that they would both be back soon, the Doctor and Rose were dropped at the station by Pete. Grabbing their bags, the Doctor walked with Rose to the booth to get their return tickets.

“I can carry my own bag, you know.”

“I’m fine carrying them, don’t worry.”

“Thank you.” She replied softly, taking their tickets from the attendant. Going out to the platform, Rose checked her watch before looking up at him. “Train will be here in a few minutes.”

“Good. Do you want the window seat?”

Smiling softly, she shook head. “No, you can have it. You know I get dizzy looking out the window on trains.”

“How are you going to be in the car then?”

“I’m fine in cars. I guess I don’t look out of the window much. It’s been awhile since I’ve made the trip by car. When we came at Christmas, we took the train.”

“This will be a fun trip then.”

Rose laughed, poking him in the stomach. Seeing that their train was pulling up, Rose made to grab her bag but it was pulled up by the Doctor. “James!”

“Rose!” He laughed, walking on the train with her. Finding seats for them, he stuck the bags in the overhead before sitting down next to the window.

Rose sat next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I talked to Mum and Dad, they said if you wanted to, when we come up, you can stay with us. They didn’t mind. I told them I wasn’t sure when that was though.”

“Maybe next month? I still have to call Aunt Silvia and see when a good time is.”

“I’m glad you were able to come up yesterday. I know the circumstances weren’t good, but still.”

“I’m glad too.” The Doctor leaned his head against the headrest, looking out the window as they started to move. “Your Dad offered me a job after graduation, Torchwood.”

“Really? He offered me one too, at Vitex though. What did you say?”

“I said if the offer was still there then, I’d probably take it. I just want a bit of time before I go to work to travel a bit.”

“Well, you have been saying that since we started school. It’ll be good for you to travel a bit. Where do you think you want to go?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” He looked over at her, slouching a bit so she was more comfortable. “You could come with me, if you want.”

“Yeah? I would like that. I’ll think about it.”

“I also spoke to your Dad about something else.”

“What about?”

“Well, he and your Mum want to help you out this year. You’ve been working like crazy to cover rent and everything else.”

Rose sighed softly, shaking her head. “I know. They both asked me about it too. I know Dad has the money and it wouldn’t even make a dent, but they’re already paying for school. I’m not use to having money to do things. Mum got used to it. I don’t think I can.”

“Just think about it though, for me. We would both have more free time. Think of all the trouble we could get into.”

Giggling softly, she buried her face into his shoulder. “I don’t think the time should be wasted by getting into trouble.” Sitting up, she looked at him. “How are you used to having the money for school and your flat? I know you didn’t always have it.”

The Doctor looked at her, shrugging his shoulders. “Honestly? I’m not. It’s just there, for school. Sure, the scholarships helped, so all I’m really using it for is the flat, but the reason why I have it is not something I like to think about.”

Rose frowned a bit, biting on her bottom lip. “’M sorry James. You know I didn’t meant anything by it.”

“I know you didn’t Rose, it’s alright. Do you want to cuddle for a bit? I can pull a movie up on my phone?”

Letting out a laugh, she shook her head at him. “Did you seriously ask to cuddle? You hate when I try to cuddle with you. You tell me friends don’t cuddle and that you don’t cuddle.”

Frowning a bit, he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, if you don’t want to…”

“No, I do. Budge up. Make sure the movie is a good one.” Leaning against his side, she cuddled up to him a bit, laying her head against his shoulder.

Putting his arm around her, he took his phone out and searched for a movie they would both like. Finally settling on The Smurfs, he hit play.

“The Smurfs, really?”

“What? It’s a good movie.”

Rose just smiled as they settled in.

When the Doctor was eight, his parents had been in a car accident. The Doctor had been over at his Aunt and Uncle’s house, playing with his sister, while they were out. They should have been back to pick them up the next morning, but that never happened. His Aunt received the phone call that they were gone at three in the morning. After that, he really had a hard time adjusting. While his Aunt and Uncle cared for him, they weren’t his Mum and Dad. For weeks, every day, Rose would stop over to Miss Silvia’s house to hang out with her best mate and his sister. Whenever Rose was there, he was okay. He had something normal in his life. Sometimes, he would go over to Rose’s house and they would play with Mickey, while Jackie watched them. Rose’s mum and his mum were best mates, just like him and Rose.

With his childhood home sold, left with only boxes of memories, toys, and his clothes, the Doctor made a new life with him, his sister, and Aunt and Uncle. His grandpa Wilf came over all the time and between him and Rose, they got the Doctor better. When he was ten, he was watching television with his Uncle when he heard about people becoming doctors to make others better. He decided that’s what he wanted to do, make people better like Gramps and Rose had done for him. It was then that he decided to go by the Doctor. Rose decided she didn’t like his new name and stuck with calling him James. Not that he minded. He still missed his parents, all the time. His Gramps was always telling him that they would be proud of him. He went every week with his Aunt and sister to their graves, just to talk to them. While sometimes he wouldn’t talk to anyone for days, his Aunt knew he would always talk to them.

As he got older, wanting to become a doctor wasn’t the best for him. He didn’t know if he would be able to not always save the patients like his parents. His Uncle tried to get him into other things and the one thing that stuck was computers and electronics. His nickname still stuck, which he didn’t mind. Having a name like James Noble could be a bit boring at times, at least to him. By the time he was older, he was doing better. He was talking more and while sometimes he wouldn’t talk to anyone but Rose, overall he was doing well. He still went to visit his parents, just now, it wasn’t every week.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Doctor turned his attention back to the movie just in time to see the credits rolling. Turning his head, he looked to see Rose watching him. “Did you like the movie?”

“I always do. Are you okay? You sort of spaced out for a bit there.”

“Yeah, I’m okay. I was just thinking about something.”

“Want to talk about it?” Rose gave him a small smile, sitting up.

“Not right now, thanks.” Putting his phone away, he checked his watch to see what time it was. “Half an hour until we’re home.”

“Do you regret breaking it off with Reinette?” Rose asked him quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap. She hated to think she was the reason why they broke up. She didn’t want to do that to him.

“No, I don’t. I remember Donna telling me once that sometimes you’re so enamored with someone that you fail to see their faults.” Pulling Rose back to his side, he leaned his head against hers. “I think that’s what happened with Reinette. We’re heading into our last year anyway. I want this to be a good year.”

“I think it will be.” Rose smiled softly, snuggling back into the Doctor’s side. “Is Jack still pining away for Donna?”

The Doctor let out a laugh, leaning back against his seat. “As far as I know. I assume since they’re still not dating, he is.”

“We should try and get them together when we go visit.”

“Donna would kill him.”

Rose smiled softly, turning in her seat to look at him. “As Jack would say, at least he’ll die happy.”

Twenty minutes later the pair were leaving the train. Checking her phone, Rose saw she got a message from Martha. “Martha sent me a text. Apparently they decided to finally tell her parents they were engaged and are headed over to her mum’s for dinner. She said they were going back to yours after, they’ll probably be in late. I’m glad she told them. Hopefully they’ll be happy for them.”

“I think they will. Do you still want to get dinner?”

“How about we go back to mine and I’ll cook?”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. You know I like to cook. Just never really have the time. I’ll just need to stop at the store. Would you mind dropping me off on the way to the flats?”

“I don’t mind going with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. You can’t get rid of me easily, Rose!”

Giggling softly, she took her bag from him as they walked over to his car. “I am a bit bummed that I won’t get to see Mickey. Between everyone’s schedules, I haven’t seen him in two weeks. I’ve spoken to him on the phone, just haven’t seen him.”

Getting into the car, he tossed his bag into the back. “Finals are this week and next. I’m sure after that, you’ll get to see him.”

“Either that, or I’m camping out at yours just to make sure I see him.” Rose got into the car, placing her bag in the back with his.

“Just don’t go putting up a tent in my living room.”

“Oi! That was you, not me.”

“One time!”

After they went to the store, the Doctor and Rose went back to the flats. The Doctor headed to his while Rose went to hers to put her stuff away and to start dinner. She had had a nice weekend, getting to see her parents and her brother. He was getting so big that she knew she needed to start going home more. Maybe if she took her parents’ offer up, she would be able to visit more on the weekends. If she worked enough over the summer, she would be able to save for train tickets, or at least gas money, if she could convince the Doctor to go with her, she would be able to visit more. While the stir fry was cooking she went into her room and changed into some yoga pants and a t-shirt. She knew the Doctor was going to come back in his pajamas, so she may as well be comfortable as well.

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor let himself into her flat, after taking a shower and changing. “Rose?”

“Kitchen!” She called out to him, peaking her head out, with a smile.

Walking into the kitchen, he walked over to the stove where she was. “Smells good.”

“It’s just a quick stir fry. It’s almost done. Table is set too.”

“Thanks for cooking.”

“It’s no problem.” Biting her lip, she looked over at him. “I never did ask with everything, but we need to figure out rent and stuff. I know what I’m paying here, but your flat has three bedrooms so it’s going to cost more.”

“I’m occupying two of the rooms, so you’ll only have to pay for a third of the cost. We’ll split cable and everything in half. It shouldn’t be more than what you’re paying now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I wanted the extra room for experiments, so it’s only fair. We have another month to work this out.”

“That’s hardly any time. I’ll still need to pack and everything.”

“I’ll help you, don’t worry.”

Rose frowned at him, going back to cooking. Once everything was set, she dished out their food onto the plates, handing him his. “Help yourself to drinks. Everything is in the fridge.”

Nodding his head, he took his plate over to the table before going to get drinks. He grabbed them both a bottle of water before returning to the table. Sitting down across from her, he watched her for a few minutes before he started to eat.

“If you don’t want to move you don’t have to.”

“No, I do.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“It took Martha and me awhile before we had a routine set up. I got used to it.”

“We’ll get a routine set, you’ll see.”

“What if you hate me?”

“Rose, that won’t happen.”

“What if you get tired of me being around all the time when you want to bring a girl home?”

“What if _you_ get tired of me being around all the time when you want to bring a guy home?”

“I don’t think that’ll happen, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Seriously?”

Rose nodded her head, taking a bite of her food. After a few minutes, she let out a soft sigh. “It’s just, it takes me a lot now to trust someone to go out with them. Usually the guy only lasts one date and then I never call him.”

“Then I’ll make you a promise. I won’t bring anyone home. I want this space to be comfortable for us both.”

“I’m already putting you out of so much, I can’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking, I’m telling.”

“Thank you, James.” She gave him a small smile as she continued to eat.

“This is really good, by the way.”

“Yeah? I’ll have to make sure I make it again. I’ll try to make extras of stuff, this way I know you’re eating.”

“I remember to eat.”

Rose raised her eyebrow at that, leaning against her chair.

“Okay fine. I remember to eat at least once a day. I’ve been better. I wouldn’t object to you cooking, if you want.”

“I want to. I’ll just make you clean all the dishes.”

“Deal.”

After dinner, the Doctor helped Rose wash the dishes. One water fight later, the dishes were washed, dried, and put away. Rose stood up on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms around the Doctor’s neck in a hug.

“Thank you for the past few days. I had a lot of fun.”

The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her close to him. “I did too.”

“Despite everything?”

“Despite everything. I got to spend time with you, got a new roommate, and I learned something new.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“You can make a racecar drive up a wall.”

Rose let out a giggle, hugging the Doctor tighter. “Don’t ever change, James. Always stay yourself.”

“That I plan on.” Letting go of her, he looked down at her. “Mind if I crash on the couch? We can let Mickey and Martha have the flat to themselves.”

“That’s fine. Go find something on television to watch and I’ll grab a pillow and some blankets for you.”

Nodding his head, he made his way over to the couch, taking his phone out so he could text Mickey.

Rose made her way down the hall to her room. Letting out a breath she shook her head. Maybe Martha and her mum were right. The Doctor did look at her in a special way. It was similar to how Mickey looked and Martha and how her dad looked at her mum. She wasn’t sure what to think of this. She just hoped she didn’t hurt him. She didn’t want to lose him. Grabbing what she came for, she walked back into the living room and pasted on a smile. Putting the pillow and blankets down, she sat next to the Doctor to settle in for the movie.

“Everything alright?”

Rose gave him a small smile, nodding her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s watch the movie.” Leaning back against the couch, she turned her head towards the screen.

Nodding his head a bit, he settled in, pressing play on the remote.

“Thor, really?”

The Doctor just gave her a grin, shrugging his shoulders as he watched the movie.

Once the movie was finished, Rose stood up from the couch, stretching her arms above her head. “Mm. I guess that wasn’t too bad. Just no more action movies for a while, yeah?”

He looked up at her, giving her an innocent smile. “Sure.”

Rose narrowed her eyes before shaking her head. “I’m off to bed. You’ll be okay out here?”

“I’ll be fine. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, James.”

“Night Rose.”

Walking down the hall into her room, Rose left the Doctor to settle himself in for the night. She definitely needed to talk to Martha and soon.

 


	5. With One Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the module ends, decisions are made. After a night out with their friends, the Doctor finally realizes that the only one that doesn't know how he feels about Rose, is Rose herself. Jack and Donna decide to come visit and plot to get them together.

Two weeks later and the module was official over. After her last final, Rose walked out of the classroom and let out a deep breath. Only one more year to go and she would be done with school. With a smile on her face, Rose started the walk to head back to the flats. For the last two weeks, in between studying and working, she was packing up her stuff from the flat she was sharing with Martha. Their lease was up in another two weeks, but she wanted to get it done and over with. She had been bringing down some of the boxes when she could to the guys’ flat and storing them in the Doctor’s spare room. Looking up at the clouds, she let out a soft sigh. After her weekend with her parents, Rose had spoken to Martha about the Doctor and her possible feelings. Martha was helpful, she just hoped Martha was right.

_“Mum mentioned it too Martha, he looks at me the way Mickey looks at you.”_

_“Rose, he’s always looked at you like that. I could tell when I first met him.”_

_“I’m no good for him.”_

_“Oh Rose, no don’t say that. You are good for him. You’re always keeping an eye on him. You both care about each other. I’m not saying you have to date him, just if he asks, you should give him a chance.”_

_“It doesn’t matter either way, James won’t ask me out. I don’t want him to.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“He deserves better, Martha. Can’t we leave it at that?”_

_“Who’s better for him then you?”_

_Rose shrugged her shoulders, closing her eyes. “It’s just, I see him with girls like Reinette and Joan and that Christina girl, he saw before he was with Reinette, and he just looks so happy.”_

_“Do you know what I see? He is the happiest he’s ever going to be whenever he’s around you.” Martha hugged her mate, rubbing her back. “Hey, maybe you’re overthinking this, yeah? Just try and forget it. Maybe try going out with someone else to see if you really don’t fancy him.”_

_Rose gave her a small smile, hugging her back. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”_

Shaking her head, Rose let her conversation with Martha drift from her head. A few minutes later, Rose was walking into her building. Walking up the stairs, she passed the Doctor on his way out.

“Hiya, Rose.”

“Hi, James. All your finals done?”

“No, just one more tomorrow. You?”

“Yeah, had the last one today.”

“Oh that’s good.” Ever since the Doctor ended things with Reinette, things between him and Rose were awkward and he wasn’t sure why. He hoped she wasn’t still blaming herself for the breakup, no matter how many times he told her it had nothing to do with her. “Are you going out with everyone tomorrow night?”

“I have to see. I have work in the morning and later today actually.” It was going on twelve now and Rose needed to be at the bookstore by one. “Are you?”

“I was planning on it.”

Rose gave him a small smile. “Maybe I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Nodding her head briefly, she made her way up the stairs again.

“Rose?”

Turning her head, she looked down at him. “Yeah?”

“Could I give you ride, if you do go?” He gave her a smile, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Sure. That would be lovely, thanks. I’ll let you know.” Turning around, she climbed the rest of the steps to get to her flat. Walking in, she let out the breath she had been holding, closing the door behind her. She ate something quick for lunch and changed into her work clothes before leaving again. Pretty soon she would just have to worry about only work for a few months. She couldn’t wait for that.

Later that night, Rose returned to her flat. Walking in, she saw both Martha and Mickey sitting at the table, eating dinner. “Micks!” She walked over to him and gave him a hug.

Mickey hugged her back, shaking his head. “It’s been what, a month since I’ve seen you?”

“Hardly my fault.” She teased him. She had been so busy with school and work, she barely saw him. She saw Martha more, only because they were both at the flat, usually at the same time. “Have you both finished your finals?”

“Yeah, finished my last one today.”

“Same for me. I can’t believe next year will be our last year. Well, for most of us.”

“You want to be a doctor Martha.” Rose smiled, leaning against the counter. “It’s only four more years after that, right?”

“Four more years then I have to do my residency.”

Both Mickey and Rose pulled a face at that. “I’m proud of you, babe.”

Martha gave Mickey a smile before she leaned over to kiss him.

“On that note, I’ll get out of your hair.”

“You can stay Rose.”

“No, it’s fine. I should probably finish packing anyway. Only a bit more to go. Enjoy your night!” Walking down the hall, she waved at them before heading into her room. Closing the door behind her, Rose turned on her light. After changing into her pajamas, she grabbed her phone to text the Doctor.

_Working from 9 to 5 tomorrow, full day. Not sure if I’ll want to go out. – R_

The Doctor heard his phone ping and he reached over to the other side of his desk to answer it. He had just finished studying and was about to make dinner. Seeing that it was a message from Rose, he looked at the time to see it was just after seven.

_Let me know either way. I could always hang back with you, if you want. – J_

_No, don’t skip out on my account. I’ll probably go, just may want to leave early – R_

_Don’t want to stick around to see your pretty boy? – J_

The Doctor knew Rose would get mad at that one, he just wasn’t expecting the phone call. Seeing that Rose was calling him, he picked his phone up, a smile on his face. “Hello my lovely Rose.”

“Oi, Adam is _not_ my pretty anything. He’s just a mate.”

“He wants to date you.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because, Adam is a creep. Besides, Amy is the one that planned this, she wouldn’t invite him. She knows he creeps me out.” She huffed out, getting a bit upset.

“I’m sorry, Rose. I was just trying to tease you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t.” She told him quietly, sitting on her bed.

“I won’t.” He promised. “Did you eat dinner?”

“No. Martha and Mickey were in the kitchen eating and I wanted to give them some space.”

“I’m making cheesy noodles if you want some?”

“Extra cheese?”

“If you come down, I’ll put some in.”

“I’m in my pajamas.”

“So? I’m in mine too. Yours probably look better than mine though.”

Rose giggled softly, shaking her head. “I’m not really that hungry. I’m sort of knackered from the past couple of weeks. I was just going to go to bed.”

“If you change your mind, I’ll make some extra and leave it in the fridge for you.”

“Thanks, James.”

“It won’t be as good as your stir fry though.”

“Our first night in, I’ll make that for us. Deal?”

“Deal.” The Doctor cleared his throat quietly. “Sweet dreams, Rose.”

“Sleep well, James.” With a smile on her face, she hung the phone up before getting up to turn the lights off. Stretching a bit, she climbed into the bed as she settled in for the night. It had been such a long time since the Doctor had offered to make dinner for her. At this point, she knew it wouldn’t have been a good idea to go over there. Martha was right. She needed to go out and date, see if she could figure out her feelings for the Doctor once and for all.

When Rose went into her room, Mickey turned to Martha. “How is she dealing with living with the Doctor?”

“I think she’s okay about it. I told her if he asks her out, she should go for it. He obviously has feelings for her, as much as she has feelings for him. I know she won’t pursue anything since he just ended things with Reinette, but still. What did the Doctor have to say about her moving in?”

Mickey shrugged his shoulders. “He seems to be excited about it. He made space in his experiment room for her boxes until I move out. I think he may ask her out once they’re in the flat together, but I’m not sure. If he doesn’t, I think we should lock them in a room until he does ask her out. After everything with Jimmy, I don’t think she’ll ever ask him out herself.”

“Jimmy really messed her up, huh?”

“I think it was both Jimmy and her dad. She’s gotten better with Pete from what she’s told me, but she went from her dad not being there to him being there and her parents getting back together and then Tony, it was a lot for her.”

“She seems to be getting better though, yeah?”

“Yeah, she is. Said she was getting along better with Pete.”

Martha gave Mickey a small smile. “Do you think the Doctor is going to be able to accept her? I don’t want him to all of a sudden feel like he might lose her one day and end things.”

“I think if he did have that thought, he wouldn’t end things.” Mickey made a face at Martha. “Oi, when did this turn into one of your conversations with Rose?”

Martha laughed softly, leaning over to kiss him. “Sorry, Love.”

The next afternoon, Rose was in the bookstore working. It had been a slow day so Rose found herself getting caught up in her thoughts more than once. Around three she took her phone from her pocket and decided to send the Doctor a text. She finally decided to go out with everyone that night. She just hoped they wouldn’t be out all night. She wanted to sleep in the next day since she didn’t have to be at work until noon.

_How did your last final go? – R_

The Doctor was at his flat, working on pulling apart some pieces to an old computer when he got Rose’s message. Smiling, he sent her a quick reply.

_Fine. Just glad it’s over. – J_

_Is the offer for a ride to the pub still there? – R_

_Yes. I can meet you at your flat at half six if you want? – J_

_Great. You can come over earlier if you want. Martha and Mickey are heading over to the pub by half five. Won’t take me long to get ready. – R_

_Are you sure I won’t be rushing you? – J_

_Nah. Should be done here at five. – R_

Maybe he would swing by to the bookstore before five to give her a ride home. He knew she would have to take a bus to get back to the flats, so it would save her time and give him an excuse to see her.

_Alright. I’ll meet you at half five then. – J_

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Rose glanced around the store. A few people had entered while she was texting the Doctor. With a sigh, Rose went to the bookcase nearby and continued to stock the books. Once she was done, she took her spot back behind the register. The next two hours were going to go by slow.

At quarter to five, the Doctor entered the store, seeing Rose behind the counter, ringing people up. With a smile, he darted down one of the isles and picked up a book he knew Rose had wanted. Walking over to the registers, he stood in line, waiting for his turn. Once he was next, he walked up, giving Rose a wide grin. “Hello.”

Rose looked up and gave him a smile. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

“Well, since classes are done and I didn’t have anything else to do, I figured I would stop in.”

Picking the book up, she quirked her eyebrow at him. “And you decided to start reading James Patterson?”

“No, can’t stand him. I’m getting the book for you. I remember you mentioned it to me.”

“Really?” She rang it up, placing the book in a bag, handing it to him.

“Yes, really.” Handing her the money, he took the bag from her. “Are you almost done working?”

“Yeah, have a few more minutes. Why?”

“I was hoping I could drive you home instead of having to wait for the bus.” He admitted, tugging on his ear.

“I’d like that.” Making him step aside, she rang up the last customer in line. Once she was done, she closed her register before stepping away from the counter. “Just let me check out, yeah? I’ll be right back.” Giving him a smile, she walked to the back so she could check out. Walking back to the front, she found the Doctor over by the door, waiting.

“Ready?” He handed her the bag, before opening the front door for her.

“Thanks for the book, you really didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” Walking to the parking lot with her, he glanced over at her. “How was work?”

“Dreadfully slow. I figured it would be though.” Finding his car, she got in on the passenger side. “How was your day aside from your final?”

“Good. I finally got the spare computer I was looking for.” He got into the car and started it up.

“So the world can be saved now?” She teased him a smile on her face.

“Ha! Very funny.” Pulling out of the parking lot, he reached over and turned the radio on.

“So two more weeks, there’s still time to back out.”

“Why would I want to back out?”

“No reason, just wanted to make sure you didn’t suddenly decide to have the full on bachelor pad or anything.”

“If I did that, you would find me over at yours every day.”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be the end of the world.”

“No?”

Rose gave him a smile, shaking her head. Turning her head, she leaned against the headrest, closing her eyes.

The Doctor kept glancing over at her as he drove. She would probably want to call it an early night, she seemed to be exhausted. A few minutes later he pulled into his parking spot and turned off the car. Placing his hand gently on her arm, he rubbed his thumb across her skin. “Rose?”

Opening her eyes she blinked a couple of times before looking over at him. “Mm, sorry, James. I guess I shouldn’t have closed my eyes.”

He gave her a smile, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s fine. Come on, let’s get you upstairs.” After they both got out, he walked with her upstairs to her flat. Walking in, he made his way over to the couch to sit.

“I’ll be out in a few. Help yourself to whatever.”

“Take your time.” Seeing her face, his eyes widened. “Not that you need to!”

Rose smirked, shaking her head. “You better watch it, mister.” Heading down the hall, she locked herself in the bathroom to get ready. Twenty minutes later, Rose was showered, dressed, and ready to go. Walking into the living room she grabbed her purse from the chair. Looking at the television she saw the Doctor was engrossed in some documentary about bees.

“Having fun?”

He looked over at her, giving her an innocent smile. “Nothing else was on!”

Giggling softly she shook her head. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Turning the television off, he walked over to her. “You look lovely, by the way.”

Blushing softly, she shook her head. “Thanks.” Letting him go first, she walked out behind him, locking the door. “Thanks for waiting and for driving me.”

“No problem.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets as they made their way downstairs. “So Mickey mentioned to me that he sold his furniture and they’re coming to get it tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah? That’s good. I guess that means he’ll be staying with me and Martha until they move.”

“Well, about that. I know you’re almost done packing and it wouldn’t take us long, but if you wanted to, you can move in early. Mickey said he would be able to help me move your bed and the heavy stuff.” The Doctor spoke in one long sentence and Rose had trouble keeping up with him.

Making their way to the door, Rose walked out with him. “Oh, yeah, I mean, if you’re okay with that. I’m fine with waiting. I also have to work tomorrow in the afternoon. I wouldn’t be around to help you.”

“Doesn’t matter either way to me.” The Doctor told her as he walked over to his car, getting in.

Rose let out a sigh, getting in on the passenger side. “I know Martha wouldn’t do this, but I feel like I’m being pushed out.”

The Doctor frowned, looking over at her. “You’re not. The only reason why I suggested it was so you wouldn’t feel crowded up in your flat. If you don’t want to, it can wait.”

“I’m really starting to feel like I should just get my own flat.” She told him honestly, shaking her head. “I feel like I’m being shuffled around.”

“Rose, I want you to live with me. I don’t want to be on my own.” He admitted quietly, starting the car.

Rose looked over at him, biting on her lip. She never really did take into account his perspective on this. He was giving up a lot by asking her to stay with him. It was different when two blokes or two women shared a flat from a bloke and a woman. “Is that why you want me to move in sooner?”

“Yes.” Pulling out of his spot, he headed towards the pub.

“If you’re not going to any trouble, I’m fine with it. Just see if Jack or someone else can help you, yeah? My dresser and bed are heavy.”

“Really?”

“Really. But, Sunday is my day off and I’m sleeping in. No noise.”

“Deal.” He gave her a smile before turning back to the road. Twenty minutes later, the Doctor pulled into the parking lot of the pub. Getting out, he waited for Rose to get out before he walked in.

“James?”

Turning his head, he looked down at Rose. “Yes?”

Leaning up, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before giving him a smile. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Always.” He winked at her, before walking over to join their mates.

“Rosie!”

Rose turned her head to see Jack walking over to her. Laughing, she met him halfway and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. “Jack! What are you doing here?”

Hugging her tightly, he picked her up off the ground with a grin. “Doc over there told us everyone was meeting up so we decided to come down. Donna is here too.”

“I have to find her and say hi. Would you mind putting me down again?” Laughing softly, she pulled back from the hug a little to look at him. The Doctor had met Jack through Donna. Jack had been mates with Donna since grade school and growing up, they had somehow all become friends. Rose had many memories of the Doctor, Jack, and Mickey playing pranks on the girls.

Jack placed her down on the ground with an exaggerated whine. “I haven’t seen you in months and you’re already leaving me for Donna?”

Giggling softly, she looped her arm through his as they walked over to the group. “How is your favorite lady doing? Work up the nerve to ask her out yet?”

“I asked her out on the way here, actually. We’re going out Tuesday night.”

“I’m glad. You two will be good for each other.” Letting go of his arm, she searched the table to find Donna. Once she spotted her, chatting with Martha and Mickey, she sat down at the table next to her. “Hi, Donna.”

“Oh Rose! You look so pretty.” Turning to the Doctor she narrowed her eyes. “Did you tell her she looks pretty?”

“I did!”

Rose laughed softly, shaking her head. “He did Donna. Leave him be.”

“Ha! Thanks, Rose.”

Amy and Rory popped up behind Rose and Amy tapped her on the shoulder. “Hello!”

Rose smiled and stood up, hugging them both. “Hi. I haven’t seen you both in a while. How is everything?” Rose had met Rory through Martha as they share a lot of the same classes together since Rory was in school to become a nurse. When she met Amy, they instantly hit it off. Rory and Amy had known each other since primary school when she moved to London and had been dating since they were fifteen.

“Good, we’re good. How are you?”

“Can’t complain.”

“Did you hear Clara is bringing someone with her?”

Rose smiled, shaking her head. “No, I hadn’t. Do you know who it is?”

Rory cleared his throat, a small smile on his face. “She didn’t say, but I have a feeling we know who it is.”

“Who?” Amy demanded of her boyfriend, a frown on her face.

“You’ll see.”

Amy and Rory sat down across from Rose as they continued to talk. When the Doctor sat down next to Rose, she gave him a smile before listening to Amy discuss her latest modeling job.

A few minutes later, Clara walked in with Matt. While Amy had known Matt the longest, he took to everyone and was really good mates with everyone. They all knew it was a matter of time before he asked Clara out. After Clara’s last relationship, they knew she would be hesitant to go out with anyone again. Rose and Amy were just glad she was giving him a chance. Rose and Amy got up and hugged both Clara and Matt before they returned to their seats, promising to catch up later.

Sitting back down, Rose looked over at the Doctor, seeing that he was looking at a menu, not really talking to anyone else. Leaning over she looked at the menu with him. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah. I just didn’t realize everyone would be here.”

“I thought Martha told you?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

He shrugged his shoulders, leaning back against his seat.

“Don’t do the thing where you decide you don’t like people all of a sudden.”

“That was one time. I apologized.”

Rose gave him a smile, leaning closer to him, keeping her voice low. It was loud enough in the pub that no one would really overhear them. “Are you upset that you didn’t get a hug from me?”

“Maybe.”

Giggling softly, she wrapped her arm around his middle, giving him a side hug. “’M sorry. I’ll give you a proper hug once we stand up later.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

A few minutes later, Rose’s mate Joe walked in to the pub. She had invited him when she knew everyone else was going to be there. She knew he liked to talk to Mickey, Jack, and the Doctor so at least he would have someone else to talk to. She had met him when she was in her first year and needed a tutor. Once she stopped needing one, they had become mates so she introduced him to her mates. Oddly enough, he knew Jack already so he had no trouble fitting in. Amy had been trying to set him up with her sister, River, much to Joe’s chagrin. Getting up, she greeted him with a hug as he walked over to the table. He was a bit older than Rose and her mates, but was the same age as River, Jack, and Donna.

Before she could sit down though, the Doctor tugged on her hand, a pitifully pout on his face. “Now you’re being silly.”

“Please?”

Laughing softly, she leaned down and gave him a hug, whispering in his ear. “Always save the best for last.” Sitting down again, she felt his arm on the back of her chair and relaxed a bit as she tried to join in on multiple conversations.

Near the end of the night, after Rory, Amy, Clara, and Matt had left, Rose was sitting at one end of the table, talking to Joe as the Doctor spoke with Mickey, Martha, Jack, and Donna.

“So how did the rest of your classes go for the year?”

“They went well. I just can’t believe next year is my last year, you know? I never thought I’d get here.”

“You had it in you. You just needed to focus.”

“I probably never would have passed maths if it weren’t for you.” She admitted quietly, a small smile on her face.

“You would have been fine without me, Rose.”

“Thanks, Joe.”

“Since your classes are over for the summer, could I take you out?”

“How do you mean out?”

“Out on a date.”

“Oh Joe, I don’t know. We’re mates, yeah? It’s just, my heart wouldn’t be in it. I wouldn’t want to do that to you.” In the time Rose knew Joe she had confided in him her feelings for the Doctor, she just never specifically told him who it was. He would give her advice when she needed it. While she had gotten advice from her other mates, Joe’s advice always came from the heart. She never asked what happened, but she knew he lost someone once.

“I know what I’m getting myself into Rose. Just one date and if we both agree to walk away mates, then we will.”

“One condition.”

“What’s that?”

“If it doesn’t work out, we’re still going to be mates. And you have to call River.”

“That’s two conditions.” Seeing her look he sighed, shaking his head. “Fine.”

Rose gave him a smile and they chatted for a few more minutes before Joe said he had to go. Getting up, she hugged him and promised she would see him during the week for their date. She walked back over to where the Doctor was and sat down in the seat next to him.

“Everything okay?” He asked her softly, listening to Jack and Mickey discuss some new program Jack was working on for Torchwood.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She decided she would wait to tell him about Joe until they were in the car.

“Do you want to go soon? Mickey said he’s staying over at your flat tonight.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t want one last night at your flat.”

“He’s all packed up from what he said since the person is coming in the morning to get the stuff.”

“Did you ask Jack if he would help?”

“I did. He and Donna are going to stay the night. Donna said she would help since you’ll be at work.”

“Good. I just want you moving the big stuff. I can move the boxes.”

“Rose, we want to help.”

Shaking her head, she turned to the conversation Mickey and Jack were having. It was already nearing ten and they had been in the pub for four hours. She was surprised they made the trip down from London to see them just for the night, but she was grateful. It had been nice to catch up with Donna and everyone else. She hoped that they wouldn’t be staying far from the flats.

“Hey, it’s getting late. We should probably head out.” Martha told them, standing up from the table. “Donna, where are you staying?”

“I was hoping to crash with you.”

Rose smiled, shaking her head. “Donna, you take my bed, I’ll crash on the couch.”

Jack moved closer to Donna, putting his arm around her. “I’m crashing with Donna.”

Donna shrugged him off, elbowing him in the stomach. “I’m fine by myself, thank you very much.”

Rose made a face at Jack’s suggestion, shaking her head. “Eww.”

The Doctor cleared his throat, coming to stand by Rose. “Why don’t you take the girls’ couch since it folds out and Rose can crash with me?” He looked over at Rose. “That is, if you’re okay with that.”

She gave him a smile, looping her arm through his. “That’s fine. We should get going though.”

As the friends made their way out of the pub, the Doctor looked over at Rose. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Jack is doing me a favor tomorrow. Maybe if Donna and Jack can stay, I can cook dinner for everyone. I can stop at the store in the morning before work.”

“I’ll ask them.” He gave her a smile, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.

They got into the car and Rose leaned back against the seat, looking at the Doctor. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Starting the car, he let it run for a minute before he pulled out of the parking lot, heading back towards the flats.

“Well, before he left, Joe asked me out.”

The Doctor swerved a little before he regained control. “On a date?”

“Yes.” She bit her lip, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Well, I mean, that’s good. He’s nice. Didn’t realize he was your type.”

“And you know my type?”

“Well, you seem to go after the pretty boys.”

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Thanks for saying I’m superficial, James.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Clearly. Maybe I don’t like him for his looks. Maybe I like him for the way he treats me and others.”

“If you like him, then I’m happy for you. I hope you enjoy your date.” He was frustrated. Just when he thought he was getting somewhere, he obviously wasn’t.

Turning to look out of the window, Rose let the rest of the car ride be in silence. She didn’t understand why he was upset about her going out with Joe. He hadn’t made any signs to her that he wanted to go out with her. If he had, she would have said no.

Pulling into the parking lot of their flats, he parked the car and turned it off. He didn’t make any moves to get out of the car.

“I’m sorry.” She told him quietly.

“No, I’m sorry. I overstepped again.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s fine, honest.” Clearing her throat, she looked over at him, giving him a small smile. “Thank you for the ride and hanging out with me tonight.”

“Do I still get my hug?”

Giggling softly, she nodded her head. “Yeah. Let me just grab some stuff from my room and I’ll meet you at yours, okay?”

“Sure.”

Getting out of the car, Rose made her way into the building. Once she was in her flat, she walked into her room. Except for her clothes, Rose was packed and ready to move. She knew it wouldn’t take her long to get settled in downstairs and she couldn’t wait. Changing into her pajamas, she put some clothes for tomorrow in a bag so she wouldn’t have to come back first thing in the morning. Heading into the living room, she saw Martha and Mickey walk in with Donna and Jack.

“Do you need me to get you anything before I head out? There should be sheets and a blanket in the closet for the couch.”

“Don’t worry, Rose. We’ll get it settled.” Martha assured her before popping down the hall to get the stuff for Jack.

“Alright. Good night.” Waving to everyone, she headed out of the flat, down to the Doctor’s.

“Can we lock them in a closet?” Jack asked Mickey and Donna.

“If they’re not together soon, we can.” Donna assured him before going to help Martha.

Rose made her way downstairs and let herself into the Doctor’s flat. Seeing he was sitting on the couch in his pajamas, she made her way over to him, dropping her bag down on the floor.

He stood up and pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her neck.

Rose gave him a smile, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him back. “Better?”

“Better.” He mumbled through her hair. He didn’t want to lose her and he knew he might if he didn’t admit how he felt. Maybe tomorrow, tomorrow was good.

 


	6. Shoot for the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Rose is at work, the Doctor, Donna, Jack, and Mickey move her things into the Doctor's flat. Jack encourages Rose to give the Doctor a chance.

When Rose left for work at half twelve she was assured by Donna, Jack, the Doctor, and Mickey everything would be fine that all of her stuff would be moved from her old flat to her new flat. She knew with Donna in charge, everything would be fine. Even when she told the guys that all she needed moved was her dresser, bookcase, and bed, they insisted on moving everything. Not one to complain, she relented and allowed them to move everything. During her break, she called her mum to let her know what was going one.

“Let me get this straight. Mickey sold all his stuff, so his room is empty. And instead of crashing on the couch, he decided to move in with Martha early. Which lead the Doctor to have you move in early?” Jackie summarized after Rose told her the story.

“Yeah.” Rose let out a soft sigh. “He’s just not use to being alone, sort of like me. He asked me. All joking aside, as straight faced as he can manage, he asked me. I couldn’t say no. I know you said you and Dad would come and help, but honestly, it wasn’t that much stuff. Just the stuff in the bedroom and some pictures I had on the wall. But those I ended up giving to Martha since she liked them.”

“It’s okay sweetheart. I’m just glad Donna was there. If anyone can keep her brother in line, it’s her.”

“That she can.” Rose let out a small giggle, shaking her head. Clearing her throat, she looked down at the ground, kicking a rock her the toe of her trainer. “Mum, is Dad’s offer still up, to help me with rent next year?”

“Of course, Love. Is everything okay at the bookstore?”

“Yeah, it is. I’m not asking for full rent or anything, just to help a bit. I want to cut my hours back next year. I managed, but it was difficult.”

“I’ll tell your Dad and when you come up you can talk to him more. When are you coming up?”

“I asked for two weeks month. So in about three weeks. James told Donna that he was coming up and was glad. She’s going to make some time too so she can see him.”

“You tell Donna she’s welcome over here for dinner one night. Tell her to bring Jack too.”

“I’ll tell them. I almost forgot to tell you, Jack asked her out.”

“It’s about time!” When the Doctor and Donna lost their parents, she had been there for them both. Donna had been thirteen when it happened and she understood more. It had been hard on her, hard on them both. She remembers all the nights Donna would show up after getting into an argument with her Aunt and Jackie would take her in. Both of them have turned out well and knew their parents would be proud of them both. “I’ll have to give him a talk.”

“I’ll warn Donna but not Jack.” Rose smiled softly, looking at her watch. “Mum, I have to go. I’ll call you later once I’m at the flat to tell you how the move went. Hopefully James didn’t break anything.”

“Alright, Love. Be safe.”

“I will. Give my love to Tony and Dad.”

“I will.”

After Rose hung up with her Mum she went back to work. She was excited to see what happened while she was at work. She was just glad she had off the next day. The rest of the day went by, rather slow in Rose’s opinion. Before she went to work that morning, she had stopped in at the story to get the stuff to make dinner for everyone as a thank you for moving her things. The Doctor had seemed better this morning from last night so hopefully her being there was helping him.

Once she was done with work, Rose caught the bus back to the flat. Leaning against her seat, she took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure how next year was going to work. She was going to need to find a new flat once she got back up to London, but she wasn’t sure where she wanted live. It would probably make more sense to move back to her parents’ for a bit until she could decide. She just hoped she would be over her fear by then.

It wasn’t that she was afraid to live on her own, she just didn’t like to be alone. Jimmy would often leave her home alone if she wasn’t working just so she could be there if one of his ‘buddies’ decided to stop by. Most of the time they would bring drugs or some sort of weapon into her home. Sometimes they waited for him and would leer at her or they would leave only to have Jimmy come back half an hour later and pick up whatever they dropped off. If that were the case, he usually left a few minutes after that. Whenever he was home and someone came to visit, he would make a show of hitting her, or shoving her in their room with a snarl. This would result in his friend making a lewd comment about her and Jimmy laughing.

Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, she got off of the bus at her stop. Walking down the block, she walked into the building and climbed the stairs to the flat. She hadn’t gotten a new key yet and when she walked up to the door, it was locked. Knocking on it, she waited for someone to let her in.

A minute later, the Doctor peaked his head out of the door, giving her a smile. “You’re back!”

Rose eyed him suspiciously. “I told you I would be back half six. Can I come in?”

“Well, we just need a minute.” He pulled his head back into the flat and closed the door again.

Rose frowned a bit, shaking her head. What could they possibly be doing in there? Deciding it was going to take longer than a minute, she sat down on the floor, across from the door.

About ten minutes later, the Doctor opened the door again. “It’s safe to come in.”

“Oh great.” Rose scowled at him, standing up from her spot on the floor. “What happened?” Walking into the flat, she put her purse down on the counter.

“Nothing, I swear. We just wanted to make sure everything was clean.”

Rose looked around the flat. Donna and Jack were sitting on the couch, trying to find something to watch while Mickey was on the phone talking with whom Rose could only assume was Martha. “It looks clean. Can I go into my room?” She looked over at him, a bit skeptically.

The Doctor nodded his head. “Of course. Let’s go.” Placing a hand on her lower back, he guided her back towards her room.

Rose let him guide her to her new room. She was really worried about what happened since he was acting almost too nice. Opening the door to her room, she gasped. They had painted the walls to be a light peach color, which blended in with her furniture nicely. Looking around the room, she saw all her things were put away, much like she had in her old room. “You guys painted?”

“Yup. Do you like it?” He rocked back and forth on his heels nervously, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“I love it.” She gave him a smile. “Where are all my boxes?”

“Everything is put away. Donna put all your clothes away for you. I knew you wouldn’t want Jack seeing certain items. Your posters are in my room, I can help you hang them later, if you want.”

Rose giggled softly, looking around. Her bed was pushed into the one corner as to open the room up more. “This is amazing. Thank you.” Going over to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

The Doctor hugged her back, pulling her in close to him. He was glad she liked everything. When she went to the store this morning, he had Jack go out and get the paint so they could surprise her. It had been Donna’s suggestion, one he was glad he took. He had to stall her so they could finish putting her furniture into the room. Who knew paint took that long to dry?

Pulling back, she walked over to the window to open it to let the paint smell out, before going back over to him. “If everyone is hungry, I can start dinner. I have to go thank everyone though.”

“Should be. Mickey said Martha would be here soon.”

“Don’t worry, tomorrow I’ll make something special for just us, yeah?” She smiled at him, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“I’d like that.” He gave her a quick smile before walking back into the living room to sit on the couch with Donna and Jack.

Rose went out to the living room and hugged Mickey then Donna and Jack. “Thank you, for helping with my room. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

Jack pulled Rose down so she was sitting on his lap. “Don’t mention it, Rosie. We were glad to help.”

Rose moved off his lap and looked over to the other couch to where Mickey was sitting. “Did everything go okay with your stuff this morning?”

“Yeah, it’s gone. It’ll be weird to be with Martha full time now.”

“You’ll get used to it.” She assured him. “I’m going to make dinner. Let me know when Martha gets here.” Standing up she walked into the kitchen to get everything ready.

Donna looked over at her brother, eyeing him. “What did she say?”

“She liked it.” He shrugged his shoulders, focusing on the television.

“Oi. Don’t give me that. She was beaming when she came out.”

The Doctor sighed, looking over at her. “She was happy. I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to her. I just assured her that you hung up her clothes, not Jack.”

“I’ll just to talk her later.” Donna huffed, shaking her head at her stubborn brother. When Donna had gone to university her first year, she only spoke to her brother on a few occasions. At that time he had been thirteen and wasn’t really talking to anyone. When she had gone back to her Aunt’s that summer, he had been different. Rose had gotten him to open up more and start talking to his Aunt and Uncle more. He had always had a special bond with Gramps, as did Donna, but sometimes it was hard to talk to him. Donna knew at that point, Rose was always going to be something special to him. At least now, that they were older, he was able to talk to her about whatever was on his mind and she could do the same.

Martha knocked on the door a few minutes later before walking in. “Hello.” Putting her bag down on the side, she sat next to Mickey, kissing him in greeting. “How did the move go?” She questioned Donna, leaning back against the couch.

“Good. Nothing was broken.”

“Well that’s good.”

Rose stuck her head out from the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” She called out, letting them know before she went back to cooking.

The Doctor got up and walked into the kitchen, mumbling something about setting the table.

Donna smirked, shaking her head. It had always been a fight to get him to set the table, Rose didn’t even have to ask and he was doing it.

“Still nothing on that front?” Martha questioned, leaning in closer to talk to Donna.

“He said she has a date next week with Joe. I told him it was his own fault.”

“We’ll have to ask her about that later.”

Meanwhile, in the kitchen the Doctor was getting the dishes down from the cabinet to set the table. “It smells great.”

Rose smiled over at him. “Thanks. It’s nothing fancy. Just some stuff to make fajitas. The tortillas are in the warmer. I figured this would be fun for everyone.”

“Well, if they are anything like the last time you made them, I’m sure we’ll like them.”

“Thanks. Are Donna and Jack heading back tonight, or in the morning?”

“In the morning, I believe. Why?”

“Just wondering. I’ll let Donna have my bed again. I can crash on one of the couches and leave the other for Jack.”

“I could crash out in the living room with you, let Jack have my bed.”

“You’d be willing to let Jack in your bed?” She gave him an amused smile, looking over at him.

“He better be clean if he’s dating my sister!”

Rose giggled softly, grabbing some silverware and napkins from the draw. “Help me set the table?” She walked over to the dining room, placing the stuff on the table.

The Doctor walked out behind her, putting the plates down on the table. “Is that a yes then?”

“Sure, I’m fine with that.” Rose gave him a smile, putting napkins by everyone’s plate, along with the tortillas. “Go sit and relax. Dinner is almost done. Or at least go tell everyone that it’s almost done and they can come sit.” Rose headed back into the kitchen to check on the food.

The Doctor got everyone to go into the living room as Rose finished cooking. A few minutes later, she came out, carrying two pans of fillings for the fajitas. As everyone settled in to eat, the Doctor took a moment to study Rose. She seemed happy, a bit livelier then he had seen her in the past few weeks. He figured with finals being over she was under less stress. Seeing her laugh at something Jack told her, he smiled before fixing himself a plate. After dinner, he helped her to wash the dishes and put away the leftover food.

“I’m going to go change real quick, I’ll be back in a tick.” Heading towards her room, Rose stepped in, closing the door behind her.

Turning the light off in the kitchen, the Doctor headed into the living room, seeing Donna and Jack fighting over watching something on television.

“Rose said you can crash here, if you want.”

Donna looked over to Jack who nodded his head. Turning back to her brother, she gave him a grateful smile. “Sure.”

Rose walked into the living room and stood by Martha and Mickey who were getting ready to leave. “Are you heading out?”

“Yeah, I’m knackered. Work was a killer.” Martha shrugged her shoulders before hugging her friend. “I’m going to miss you as a roommate. I promise though, you can come over whenever you want. And we’ll still plan weekly dinners.”

Rose hugged her back, nodding her head. “I’d like that. I’m going to miss you too. Take care of Micks though, yeah?”

“I will. And call me after your date with Joe, okay?” Giving her a smile, she said her goodbyes to Jack and Donna while Rose spoke with Mickey.

“Just let us know if you need someplace to crash.” He told her quietly, watching her. He knew the Doctor wouldn’t hurt her, but he had been friends with Rose for a while, probably just as long as she had been friends with the Doctor. She was like a sister to him and he didn’t want to see her get hurt.

“I’ll be fine, Mickey. James and I are good. Thanks for your help today.” She hugged him tightly before looking him in the eye. “You take care of Martha, understand?”

Mickey smirked, taking Martha’s hand in his as she made her way back over to him. “I promise.” After Martha and Mickey left, Rose closed the door behind them before she made her way over to the couch.

Leaning against the Doctor she let out a small yawn. Turning her head, she focused on the television, where Jack and Donna had finally agreed on a movie to watch.

“Tired?” The Doctor whispered to her.

Shaking her head a bit, Rose turned her head to look at him. “No, I’m okay. Happy to have a new roommate?”

“Since my roommate is you, yes.”

Giggling softly, she leaned back against the couch. “We need to have some blankets out here on the couch.”

“Why?”

“I get cold sometimes and it’s nice to have a blanket nearby.”

“Do you have any extras?”

“I think so. If not, I know I have some at Mum’s I can bring back.”

“Did you decide when you want to go?”

“I got time off in three weeks, so the middle of next month, if that works for you.”

“It does. I’ll let Donna know tomorrow before they go.”

Rose looked over and saw that Donna was leaning against Jack, her eyes closed. Nudging the Doctor, Rose gestured for him to look at them. “They’re perfect for each other.”

“You think so?” He was happy for his sister. He just hoped that Jack was serious about this and would treat her right. He had already had a conversation with him earlier that morning and could see now that Jack really did care for her.

Rose smiled, watching the Doctor. “Yeah, I do. We should have him get her to bed.”

“Rose!” He hissed quietly, not wanting to wake his sister.

“Not like that.” Rose got up and nudged Jack and told him to take Donna to her room so she could sleep. While she was up, Rose went into the closet and grabbed some blankets and the extra pillows so that she could make up the couches for herself and the Doctor.

Getting up, the Doctor took one of the piles from her and placed it down on the couch. Before Jack got back, he went into his room and got changed quickly before heading back into the living room. It was getting late and he knew everyone had had a long day and knew Jack would want to get some sleep.

When Jack came back out after getting Donna settled, he smiled at the pair. “So where am I bunking?”

“James was kind enough to offer his bed for you. He’s going to sleep out here on the couches with me.”

“Did he now? That was kind of you, _James_.” Jack eyed the Doctor wearily.

“Oi, don’t start with that.”

Rose shook her head and placed her hand on Jack’s arm. “James, can you make up the couches while I get this one settled, please?”

Giving her a small smile, he nodded his head. “Sure.”

“Thank you.” Turning to Jack she walked with him into the Doctor’s room. “Do you need anything before I go back into the living room?”

“I have everything, thank you. So what is this I hear you’re going out with Joe?”

Rose blushed and looked down at her hands. “Well, he asked me out last night. I told him I wasn’t sure, but he asked me for just one date. If it doesn’t work out, I told him he needs to ask River out.”

“Well, if anyone can handle River, it would be him.” Jack sat down on the bed, looking at her. “Does he know about your feelings for the Doctor?”

Rose’s head shot up and she looked at him. “Lower your voice, James is right outside. He doesn’t know who the person is but he knows I’m not going in this with one hundred percent of everything and he understands. He’s trying to help me move past everything.”

“Doc could help you, you know.”

“I’m damaged goods, Jack.”

“No, you’re not. I don’t want you saying anything like that. You had a bad relationship and a few bad dates, that’s all.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she bit down on her lip. “I’m fine with being friends with James. Can we leave it at that?”

“I think you need to give him a chance.”

“If it ever comes up with him, I’ll decide then.”

“I didn’t mean to make you upset, I just want what’s best for you.”

Rose gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Jack.” She gave him a quick hug. “And thanks for everything today, it means a lot to me.”

“I’m always going to be here for you, Rosie.” Hugging her back he shooed her out of the room so she could get some rest.

Going back into the living room, Rose saw that the Doctor had made up both couches for them. “You didn’t have to make up mine, I would have done it.”

“It was no problem.”

“Thank you. Not just for this, for everything.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me.” He gave her a grin before sitting down on the couch.

“Yeah, well get used to it.” She teased him, giving him a tongue in tooth grin. Laying down on the other couch, she snuggled down under the blankets. “Remember all the times during the summers we would sit out like this in Mum’s living room. Those were always fun.”

“Yeah. We would watch television and laugh until she would come out and yell at us to go to sleep.” He smiled, laying down on the other couch, looking up at the ceiling.

“I miss those days. Everything was simple back then.”

“We can still do that. We just won’t have anyone to tell us to go to sleep.”

Rose laughed, looking over at him. “Sounds like a plan.” Letting out a yawn she turned on her side, closing her eyes. “Night, James.”

“Sweet dreams, Rose.” Leaning over, he turned off the lamp so they could both get some sleep. Tomorrow would start a whole new adventure for them. He couldn’t wait.


	7. Best Date Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Donna and Jack interfere with Rose and the Doctor's relationship, fun results are to be expected. But when another man takes out his girl, the Doctor finally pulls his act together.

Over the next few day, Rose and the Doctor settled in to their own routine. Before Donna and Jack left to go back to London, Donna pulled Rose aside to talk to her. While she had taken Donna’s words, she still wasn’t sure if she could believe in them.

_“You doing okay with everything?”_

_“I am, yeah.”_

_“My brother, he is stubborn, as you know. He cares about you and you’ve been there for him through a lot. For both of us, actually.” Donna gave her hand a gentle squeeze to which Rose responded to with a smile. “While he won’t admit it, he does fancy you. If he ever does, you should give him a chance. I see the way you look at him, Rose. The same way he looks at you.”_

_“I don’t think he will Donna.” Rose gave her a sad smile._

_“He will. It’ll probably be in his own abrupt way though, so it will come from nowhere.”_

_Rose laughed softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You think so?”_

_“I do.” Donna assured her._

Rose shook her head, going into her closet. Joe had called her earlier that morning to see if she wanted to go out. It had only been four days since they saw each other at the pub, but she guessed he was just looking forward to going out with her. He truly was a nice guy and she felt special that he had asked her out, but she felt bad that her heart just wasn’t in it. Every time she had wanted to mention her feelings to the Doctor, it had never been the right time. Either he just ended a relationship, or he was in a new one. Since Jimmy, she had only been on a handful of dates, nothing lasted. Maybe Joe was right and going out with him would be the push she needed.

After she found what she wanted to wear, she headed into the bathroom to take a shower. The Doctor had been home when she got home, only to leave a few minutes later. She wasn’t sure where he was going, but the look on his face seemed like someone had taken away his favorite project. Once her shower was finished, she did her makeup and hair. Checking her watch, she saw she had about twenty minutes until Joe came to pick her up. Heading back into her room, she got dressed. Walking into the living room, she sat on the couch so she could slip her shoes on. Hearing the door opening, Rose looked up to see the Doctor walking in.

“Hi.”

The Doctor gave her a small smile. “Hi. You look lovely.”

Blushing, she stood up, smoothing out her dress. “Yeah? Thanks.”

Moving over to the couch he sat down. Maybe now would be a good time to tell her how he felt. He also didn’t want to ruin her night. Maybe he would tell her tomorrow, or when she got back. Right before Jack and Donna left, Jack spoke with him. He told him to just tell Rose how he felt. But he couldn’t. Rose deserved better.

_“You should just tell her.”_

_“I can’t, Jack. She deserves better, someone that doesn’t go days without sleeping, someone that has their life in order.”_

_“Rose doesn’t have everything in order either, Doc. She cares about you, she likes you.”_

_“Did she tell you that?”_

_“Yes, she did. A while ago. I saw how she was looking at you and I asked her.”_

_“So she would really give me a chance?”_

_“She was ready to give you a chance before Reinette happened.”_

“James?”

He looked up to see Rose’s worried face. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

He gave her a smile, nodding his head. “I’m fine.”

Hearing the doorbell, Rose looked at her watch before she looked at him. “I’ll be back later. If you need me though, call me.”

“I’m fine. Go have fun.”

“Don’t wait up.” She teased him before grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

The Doctor made a face, shaking his head as she walked out. “Don’t wait up? What’s that supposed to mean?” Laying down on the couch, he found something on television to watch, trying to distract himself.

Rose smiled at Joe, kissing his cheek in greeting. “Hi.”

“Hi. Blimey, you look beautiful.”

Blushing, Rose ducked her head down. “Thank you. You look nice yourself.”

“Thank you. Are you ready?” He offered her his arm to take.

“Yes, I am.” Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, she walked downstairs with him.

Joe led her out to his car, opening the door for her. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done this.” He admitted.

Rose smiled at him. “You’re doing fine.” She assured him, giving his arm a squeeze before getting into the car.

The car ride there was quiet, the pair listened to the radio as Joe drove. He was taking her to a little hole in the wall restaurant, one he had not been to, but had always passed. Finding the parking lot, he pulled into a spot and parked the car. Before Rose could open her door, he was around on the other side, opening it.

Giggling softly, she got out of the car, giving him a smile. “Thanks.”

Joe placed a hand on the small of her back, walking with her to the entrance. Giving his name, they were seated at a table near the middle of the restaurant. “I’m not sure what food you like, I hope this place is okay.”

“This place is amazing. Honestly, I’m not picky. I can usually find something on a menu.” Rose gave him a shy smile before picking up her menu. Her favorite food would always be chips, but she knew that wouldn’t be good for a first date. The restaurant was a nice place though, she wasn’t used to places like this.

“How was your day?” Joe asked, while he pursued the menu. It had been a while since he had been on a date, let alone a first date. He wasn’t sure what the appropriate questions were.

“It was fine. I had work, nothing too exciting. How was your day?”

“Good. Last day of classes.”

“Secondary school is what you teach, yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ll have a whole new lot next year.”

“What’s your favorite part of teaching?” Rose looked up to see the waiter there and she placed her drink order.

Joe did the same before he looked back to her. “I get new students every year. It’s nice to be able to change lives every year.”

“Do you have any favorite students?”

He let out a laugh, shaking his head. “I try not to. I had one student, last year though, stand out. He’s done well for himself. Stops by every once in a while to catch up.”

“That’s nice. What are your plans for the summer?”

“Same as last year. Summer school sessions.”

“How exciting.” She teased him, giving him a grin.

“What about you?”

“Working. I’m going to visit my Mum and Dad for a couple weeks next month.”

“Tony’ll be excited to see you.”

“He’s always excited to see me.” She admitted, giving him a fond smile. “I try to call once a week to talk to him or I Skype with my Mum. I went up about three weeks ago to see them for the weekend.”

“Do they visit you here?”

“They try to. Mum has been down a couple times, Dad too. Does your family visit you here?”

Joe turned to see the waiter come back with their drinks and to take their orders. Once their orders were placed, he turned back to Rose. “I’m the only one left.” He admitted quietly.

Rose frowned a bit, placing her hand over his on the table. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it.”

He shook his head, turning his hand to he could squeeze hers gently. “It’s fine. My Mum died when I was a baby. My Dad, during my first year at Uni. I don’t have siblings.”

“Well, you have a lot of mates, me included.” She gave him a smile. “I know it’s not the same.”

“I’m grateful, I have some of the best mates.” He winked at her, smiling softly.

Ten minutes later their meals arrived. Thanking the waiter, both Rose and Joe tucked in to their food. Rose never knew Joe had lost his family, she had always assumed he just never liked talking about them. She felt like a terrible friend for not asking about them. She would make a better effort to get to know him. They spent the remaining time eating their meals in a comfortable silence.

Once they were done, Rose leaned back in her chair, giving him a smile. “That was amazing. How was yours?”

“Fantastic, actually. Did you want dessert?”

“I’m actually quite full. But please, don’t skip out on my account.”

“I’m full myself.”

After Joe settled the bill, the pair walked back to Joe’s car. Holding the door open for her, he looked down at her to see her leaning against the car.

Rose smiled up at him, crossing her arms over her stomach. “I had a lovely time tonight. I’m sorry if I overstepped with your family.”

“Don’t worry about it. I had a good time tonight as well.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

Joe chuckled, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “I felt like we were two mates catching up with each other. Not like a date.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I knew this could happen going in, I still wanted to take a chance.”

“It was a great date though, overall.”

“Yeah?”

Rose nodded her head, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “The next girl to catch you is going to be really lucky.”

“This guy, whoever it is, he’s really lucky to have you.”

Blushing, she ducked her head down. “Thanks.”

“Come on, I’ll take you home.”

As they got into the car, Joe drove back over to the flat. He had a good idea of this guy, but didn’t want to let Rose know he knew. Pulling up to the front of the building he smiled over at her. “I had fun.”

“Thanks, Joe. I really did have fun tonight too. It was nice to spend one-on-one time with you. Haven’t done that in a while.”

“We’ll do it again.”

Rose dug in her bag until she found the piece of paper she was looking for. Climbing out of the car, she leaned in before she closed the door, handing him the paper.

“What’s this?”

“River’s number. Call her. You promised.” She gave him a cheeky grin.

Joe took the paper and let out a laugh, shaking his head. “I will. Night Rose.”

“Night, Joe.” Closing the door, she walked into her building and headed upstairs as Joe drove away.

Rose walked up the stairs to the flat. Going to the door, she took a deep breath before looking at her watch. It was only half eight so it was an early night. She knew the Doctor would be up waiting. Opening the door, she saw him sitting on the couch, watching a movie. “Hello.”

He looked over at her, a bit surprised that she was home. “Hello.”

“Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be back in a tick.” Heading into her room she changed into her pajamas. Heading into the bathroom she cleaned her face of makeup and threw her hair up into a messy bun. Walking back into the living room she sat down on the couch next to him.

He looked over at her, giving her a small smile. This was how he preferred to see her. She looked much more relaxed like this. “How was your date?” He put his arm on the back of the couch, getting comfortable.

Biting her lip, she shrugged her shoulders. “In the end, we both decided we were better off as mates.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Joe is a good bloke. I gave him River’s number. They’ll be good together.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You keep matching everyone else, but yet you don’t have anyone.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she gave him a small smile. “I’m happy as long as everyone around me is happy. I could find someone for you, since you’re single.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m happy. Don’t worry about me.”

Leaning her head back, she leaned against his arm. “You’re my best mate, I’ll always worry about you.”

“Does that mean I can worry about you?”

“Course.” She giggled softly, turning her body more towards his. “I’m off tomorrow. We could do something, just us.”

“I’m sure I can think of some adventure for us.” He pulled her close to his side so she was leaning against him.

Curling into his side, she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Nothing too crazy.”

“No promises.” He joked, leaning his head against hers.

“What are you watching?”

“I have no idea.” He admitted, sheepishly. “Do you want to pick something?” He handed her the remote, giving her a small grin.

“So you sat here all night watching random shows?”

“Yup.” He said, popping the p. “I was bored without you.”

“Adorable.” She deadpanned, searching through the channels. “Do you want to watch a movie or a documentary?”

“You hate documentaries.”

“You like them though.” Flipping through the channels she found one called Mansome. Reading the description she giggled softly, she poked him in the side. “What about this one?”

Making a face, he shook his head quickly. “No, ta.” Taking the remote back he scrolled through, trying to see what else was on. “Ha! Pawn Stars. Can we watch that?”

“Sure. I like that one.” Settling back in, she lay her head against his shoulder, looking at the screen.

Selecting the show, he put the remote down. Glancing over at her, rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. “Cold?”

“A bit. I‘m fine though.”

Reaching behind him, he pulled a blanket down before laying it over them. “Better?”

Rose gave him a shy smile. She remembered this blanket from when they were kids. It was one they used to build forts and everything whenever Rose went over to his house. She hadn’t realized he kept it. “Yeah, thanks. How come you put a blanket out here?”

“You asked me for one. I found it before and decided to put it out here.”

“You’re the best.” She snuggled closer to him, her focus back on the television.

The Doctor hugged her to him briefly before loosening his hold on her. As they watched the show, he finally relaxed. Tomorrow. He was going to ask her out tomorrow. Maybe their day tomorrow could be their first date, if she accepted that is.

Somewhere during the show, they both fell asleep. Not one to normally fall asleep sitting up, Rose woke up first. Blinking her eyes, she looked at the clock on the wall to see it was only five. Rubbing her eyes, she turned her head to see that the Doctor was still fast asleep. She had apparently fallen asleep in his arms since somewhere in the night, both of his arms ended up around her. Grabbing the remote, she turned the television off. While she didn’t want to wake him, she also didn’t want his neck to hurt when he finally woke up. “James.” She whispered, shaking him slightly.

“Mm, Rose.” He muttered, still asleep.

Giggling softly, Rose shook him again, a bit harder this time. “James?”

With a groan, the Doctor half woke up to see he was in the living room. “What?”

“We fell asleep. It’s only five. I thought you might want to go in your bed.”

“Mm, probably. I was comfortable though.” He pouted, standing up. He definitely felt stiff in his back and neck. He looked down to her, holding his hand out. “Coming?”

“I’m fine to go to my own bed.” She told him, taking his hand so she could get up.

He frowned, realizing what he said. “Oh yeah, right.”

Biting her lip, she moved closer to him. “But if you want, I’ll come cuddle with you.”

“I don’t cuddle.”

“You did last night.” She pointed out, swinging their joined hands a bit.

“Only with you.” He admitted, tiredly.

“Alright, come on. We both need more sleep.” Taking the blanket that had been around her, she walked with him into his room. She let him get in first before laying down on the other side of the bed, wrapping herself up in the blanket she had been using.

“Why are you sleeping on top of the covers?” He mumbled, rolling over to face her.

“I can’t sleep under the covers with you.” Turning on her side, she tapped his nose gently.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Closing his eyes, he fell back to sleep a few minutes later.

Rose smiled, watching him sleep for a few minutes. Closing her eyes, she fell back to sleep as well.

A few hours later, the Doctor was the first to wake up. Blinking, he rubbed his eyes with his hands before turning his head to look at the time. He smiled, seeing that Rose was still curled up on the bed. How she stayed still, he wasn’t sure. He moved around all night. Turning on his side, he brushed some hair back from her face. He carefully got out of the bed, grabbed some clothes, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

He took a quick shower and got dressed before going into the kitchen to make some coffee. With the coffee started, he went into the dining room where he left his laptop and turned it on. He decided to see if he could find something different for them to do. He had thought about a road trip into the country, but knew they wouldn’t get back until late at night and knew Rose had work the next day.

Rose woke up half an hour later, a bit confused. She remembered falling asleep on the couch with the Doctor but wasn’t sure how she made it to his bed. Sitting up, she stretched a bit before standing up. She smiled, remembering that she had used his blanket when she had woken him up to go to sleep and he got her to sleep in his bed. Grabbing the blanket, she wrapped it around her shoulders, walking out into the hallway. “James?”

“Dining room!”

Stopping in the kitchen, she poured two cups of coffee, making his the way he liked it. Carrying them both, she walked into the dining room, handing him his before sitting down next to him. “Morning.” She mumbled, taking a sip of her coffee.

Taking the cup, he smiled, taking a sip. “Morning. Sleep well?” He teased her, hiding behind his cup.

“You’re the one that asked me to stay in your room.” She reminded him. “But yes, I did. Did you?”

“I did.” He shot her a grin before turning back to his computer.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m trying to figure out something for us to do.”

“Well, what have you come up with so far?”

“Either a ride into the country or the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.”

“Both sound good. How about we go to the Museum and then go for a walk after? Knowing you, you’ll want to be in there for a few hours. We can go get something to eat after then go for a walk.”

“Sounds good.” He finished off his coffee and put the cup down.

She gave him a smile, standing up, placing the blanket over the back of the chair. “I’m going to make some breakfast. Would you like some pancakes?”

“Banana?”

“Sure, I’ll put some bananas in yours.”

“Want some help?”

“No, I’ve got it.” Taking his cup along with hers, she headed towards the kitchen.

“Rose?”

Turning around, she looked at him. “Yeah?”

Running a hand through his already messy hair, he tugged on it a bit, letting out a sigh. “I wanted to know if I could take you out.”

“I thought we were going out today?” She asked him, a bit confused.

“No, I mean on a date.”

“Oh.” Rose bit her lip gently, nodding her head. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Could it be today?”

“You want today to be a date?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like that.” She gave him a shy smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

A little while later, she walked back into the dining room, placing two plates on the table, along with some syrup for the Doctor, and some silverware. “Do you want more coffee?”

“I can get it.”

“I’m up, I’ll get it.” Rose grabbed both cups before heading back into the kitchen. She poured some more coffee for the both of them before heading back into the dining room. Handing him his, she sat down at the table next to him.

“Ta.” He took a big bite of his pancakes, chewing them quickly.

Laughing at him, Rose handed him a napkin. “Slow down.”

“They’re good!” He took a sip of coffee before wiping his mouth. “Can you make these all the time?”

“Only when I have off or I’m going in late.”

“I’ll help.” He promised her, going back to eating his breakfast.

“Last time you helped, we ended up with burnt pancakes.” Rose tucked in to her breakfast, eating a bit more slowly than the Doctor.

“That was only once!”

After breakfast was over, the Doctor sent Rose in her room to get ready while he cleaned up their dishes. They were both looking forward to their day out together. The Doctor was glad he finally asked her out. Donna had been right when she told Rose that the Doctor would probably ask her out when she least expected it.

Rose walked back into the dining room where the Doctor was sitting, doing something on his computer. Sneaking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m ready.”

Jumping slightly, he turned his head back to look at her. “I am too. I found a restaurant not too far from the Museum, we could try. Then go for a walk around town.”

Her bright smile let him know he said the right thing. “That sounds perfect.” Stepping back, she walked over to the couch to grab her bag.

The Doctor grabbed his car keys and ushered her out of the flat. Grabbing her hand, he locked the door before they walked down the stairs. It wasn’t a far drive, but it was faster than walking. After the short drive, he found the lot and a spot to park. Getting out, he went around to her side of the car, holding the door open for her.

She wouldn’t mention that Joe did the same thing for her the night before, she didn’t want to upset him. Giving him a smile in thanks, she took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers. “Have you ever been here before?”

“No, have you?”

“No. Everyone says it’s pretty cool though, getting to see old programmes, prints, photographs, and all that fun stuff.”

As they walked around the museum, Rose listed to the Doctor as he spoke about the history he knew of some of the items. Her favorite part was getting to see all the different books from over two hundred years ago to more recent stuff. While most had been focused on cinema, some were about the history of former artists. The Doctor’s favorite part was the cinema equipment. “Think of all the experiments I could do with something like that, Rose!” And the letters on display. “I wonder if anyone revealed plots and everything before movies were released like they do now.”

A few hours later, they had walked through the whole Museum and were able to see all of the displays. Since it was only one, the Doctor suggested they get lunch before going on their walk. “We can go for dinner later, if you want?”

Rose smiled at him, leaning into his side. “I’d like that.”

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he walked with her back to the car. “Did you enjoy it?”

“I did. Thank you for bringing me here. Did you?”

“I did.” Walking over to the car, he held the door open for her. Once she was in, he went around and got in himself. He drove towards her favorite place to get chips. After finding a parking spot, they both got out and walked hand in hand towards the shop. “Did you want to get them to go and we can walk around while we eat?”

“We can.”

After they got their chips, they headed onto the path so they could walk.

“How come you wouldn’t get under the covers with me this morning?” He questioned after they had been walking for several minutes.

Blushing a bit, Rose shrugged her shoulders. She wouldn’t have minded really, but they weren’t together so she didn’t feel it would be appropriate for her to be under the covers with him. Not that they were doing anything wrong. “I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable or make myself uncomfortable.” She admitted after trying to phrase what she wanted to say.

“I would have been fine with it.”

“Maybe next time?”

He quirked an eyebrow up at her, an amused smile playing on his lips. “Next time?”

Rose’s blush came out at full force as she ducked her head. Mumbling, she replied. “You know what I mean.”

The Doctor finished his chips and wiped his hands on a napkin. Finding a rubbish bin, he tossed his trash out before wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked. “I’d like to be in a proper relationship with you.”

“Yeah? Not that I’ll argue, but why now? We’ve known each other since we’re three, that’s almost twenty years.”

“I know. I guess, timing wasn’t always right. It took me awhile to see what was right in front of my face.”

“You’ve been talking to Donna again.” Finishing her chips, she wiped her hands and tossed her trash away as they passed another rubbish bin. “I guess I could say the same though. I wanted to tell you so many times, but there was always something stopping me.”

“Nothing to stop us now.” He smiled at her, taking her hand in his.

“Is it going to be weird with us sharing a flat though?”

“No, it won’t. We’ll figure something out. Set up rules or something.”

Rose snorted with laughter, leaning into him. “You never like to follow rules.”

The Doctor looked affronted. “I follow rules.”

Leaning her head against his shoulder, she laced their fingers together. “Alright, so we make rules. Maybe we should have date nights, at least once a week. And if one of us needs alone time, we tell the other.”

“Agreed. During the break though, can we have more date nights?”

“Yes, we can. I meant though, at least one date night a week. We can have more. I just don’t want either of us to fall into a routine where we act more like roommate than a dating couple.”

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he smiled. “See, we can do this.”

“We’ll even have cuddle time, if you want.”

“Oi!” He stopped her from walking and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her. “I just like being close to you.”

Rose’s smile was bright as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was happy they had finally admitted their feelings to each other; she was happy to see him smiling again. “I do too.” Giving him a hug she let go before taking his hand back in hers. “You can hug me all the time now.”

“Oh I plan on it, Rose Tyler.”

After dinner that evening, the Doctor was walking Rose back up to the flat. “That’s what blokes do on dates, Rose!” He insisted. Standing in front of the door, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

Rose could tell he was nervous as she watched him. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek gently. “Thank you for a wonderful date, James. As far as first dates go, this was the best.”

“Yeah?” This time, it was his turn to blush.

“Yes.”

“I thought of a new rule.”

“What’s that?”

“After every date, no matter what it is. I’m going to walk you to the door, watch you go in, and wait ten minutes before I walk in.”

Giggling softly, she shook her head. “Why?”

“Because, I want it to feel like a real date for you.”

“James, I told you. It doesn’t matter what we do. Even if we stay in and I cook, or you get take away, it will feel like a real date.” Leaning against the door, Rose tucked her hair behind her ears. “I will let you know though, I don’t kiss until at least the fifth date.” Giving him a teasing grin, she unlocked the door and let herself into the flat, closing the door behind her.

Their first date was nothing like she imagined it could have been. From the museum to walking in the park with her and then finally dinner. She definitely owed Donna a phone call to let her know what happened. She would try to call her tomorrow during her break. Heading into her room, she closed the door and changed into her pajamas. She wasn’t sure if the Doctor was going to stick to his ten minute rule but she wanted to find out. Going into the dining room, she found the blanket from this morning and put it back over on the couch.

Hearing the door open and close, she looked at the clock. He had kept his promise of ten minutes. Turning, she saw him walk in to the living room. “Have a nice date?” She teased him, her tongue poking out between her teeth.

“Oh, it was the best.”


	8. Words I Didn't Mean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their trip to London coming up, Rose decides to pull some extra shifts at work, which causes an issue with the Doctor.

The Doctor and Rose found time to go out again the weekend again. Rose knew after that, her schedule was going to get busy with work since she was picking up extra shifts and warned the Doctor. He assured her that they would still find time for each other. By the following weekend, the Doctor had not seen Rose all week. She had left before he woke up each day and seemed to be sneaking into her room when she got home. Sunday morning was the first time since their last date that he was able to see her. He watched her walk into the kitchen, still half asleep to pour herself some coffee before she walked into the dining room.

“Hi.” He looked up from his book when she walked in.

“Morning, James.” Leaning over she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to him.

“What time do you have to be in?”

“In about an hour and a half. Why?”

“I was hoping we could spend some time together, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry. I have about an hour that’s all yours. I’m working until closing again.”

“You’ve been working until closing all week.” He pointed out, a bit frustrated.

“I know. I told you I was picking up extra shifts until we left to go to London.”

“I thought you said your parents were going to help you with rent so you didn’t need to work as many hours?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders, looking into her coffee cup. “I still need to talk to them about it when we go visit. I don’t want him to pay for it all. I still plan on working during the year, just not as many hours.”

“So you’re working extra hours now, because?”

“I want to save as much as I can. I don’t see the issue.”

“I’ve hardly seen you since you moved in!”

“You’ve not had to work to keep a roof over your head. Not all of us have money at our whim, James, like you do!” She snapped at him, standing up. As soon as she said it, she knew it had been the wrong thing to say.

“Like you don’t Rose? You were pretty quick to have your dad pay for your tuition when he offered.”

“That doesn’t mean anything! I’ve had to do many things on my own since I was old enough to get my working papers. You haven’t.” Putting her cup down on the table, she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Oh like I haven’t done anything on my own?” He got up from the table and headed down into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Turning her head, she blinked her eyes a few times to keep the tears away. Defeated, she headed into the bathroom to take a shower. She knew she said some things she shouldn’t have, things she knew had hurt him. Once she was done, she got dressed, and headed out the door to work.

It hadn’t been easy for him to grow up without his parents. Sure, he had his Aunt and Uncle, Gramps, and Donna, but it wasn’t the same. He would give up everything if he could, just to have them back. He knew Donna felt the same. He knew Rose went through a similar feeling with her father. It had been good to have him back, but she would give up everything if it meant she could have grown up with him being around. He knew he should have apologized, before she left for work but by the time he calmed down, she had left. He had been frustrated at not being able to see her much the past two weeks and instead of talking to her, they both had said some things they shouldn’t have.

The rest of the week passed much like how he knew it would. Rose would leave way before he got up and would either return late, or as soon as she came in, would go straight into her room. It wasn’t that she was mad at him. She was disappointed in herself that she could hurt him like that. She had felt so guilty that she called Donna to get her advice earlier in the week.

_After she recounted the details of their argument, Rose let out a sad sigh. “I didn’t mean it Donna, you have to believe me. I know you both would give up everything if it meant having your parents back.”_

_“Rose, it’s okay. I know you didn’t. James knows you didn’t. I think it’s more than that. He probably just missed you and he was upset. Picked a fight so he could feel justified.” Donna’s heart went out to her friend, but she knew what Rose said, hurt her brother. Even if Rose hadn’t meant it._

_“He could have just told me that’s how he felt. I was frustrated too. I was just so tired and he was always in the parts room tinkering with something when I got home. I didn’t want to bother him.”_

_“You should talk to him.”_

_“I’ll try.”_

It had been two days since she had spoken to Donna and they were supposed to be leaving to go up to London in the morning. Rose walked into the flat around five that night. She wasn’t sure if he was still going with her, but knew he had been looking forward to it as much as she was. Closing the door behind her, she saw he wasn’t in the living room and assumed he was working on something. She still had to pack so she focused on doing that.

Ten minutes after she got home, James walked down the hall to her room. Leaning against the doorway he watched her for a few minutes before clearing his throat. “Hi.”

Rose looked up from where she was folding to give him a tiny smile. “Hi.”

“I was hoping we could leave around six tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks for driving us up.”

“It’s no problem.”

Rose nodded her head before she went back to packing her clothes. She wanted to apologize but was still so upset with herself, she couldn’t. She always didn’t want to go up to her parents’ house still fighting. Maybe she would talk to him in the car tomorrow.

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of something to say to her. Dropping his hand down to his side, he walked away, heading into the kitchen to make dinner. It was going to be a long drive tomorrow if they didn’t talk before they left.

Once she was done packing, Rose put her case by the door. She swept over her room to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. After she changed into her pajamas, Rose heard a knock on her door. Going over, she opened it, seeing James standing there. “Hi.”

“Hi. I wanted to see if you wanted to join me for dinner.”

Biting her lip, she nodded her head a bit. “Sure.” Looking down at her feet, she played with the hem of her shirt, feeling some tears falling. She hadn’t wanted to go this long without speaking to him and it was hurting her. “James?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. I said some really horrible things, things that I didn’t mean. I’m sorry for working so much and not making time to see you.”

“Rose?” He placed his fingers under her chin, bringing her face up so he could see her. Wiping her eyes, gently he, cupped her face in his hands. “I’m sorry too. We both said things we didn’t mean. I was frustrated though that I hadn’t seen you aside from a few hours on Saturday. I thought you were trying run from this.”

“Never.” She gave him a watery smile. “I know you’d give everything up to have your parents back, I feel so horrible that I said those things.”

“Shh. It’s okay. I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean it.” He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes briefly. “I know you said five dates, but I’m going to kiss you.”

“You never did like rules anyway.”

Giving her a smile, he wiped her tears away before leaning down, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

Wrapping her arms around his middle, she kissed him back.

Breaking the kiss, the Doctor wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close to his chest as he held her. Leaning his head close to hers, he pressed his lips to her cheek.

Giving him a small smile, she looked up at him. “Are we okay?”

“Yeah, we are. We’ll always be okay.” Running his fingers through her hair, he gave her a smile. “Come on, let’s go eat before it gets cold.”

Untangling herself from his arms, Rose took his hand and walked with him to the dining room. Sitting down at the table, she smiled. “Cheesy noodles?”

“I know you like them.” He sat down next to her, a smile on his face.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Both had been a bit drained from the last week. Once dinner was over, Rose went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. The Doctor came in behind her, offering to help.

“You cooked. Least I could do is wash up. I don’t mind.”

“I’ll just stand here then.”

“I won’t be long.” She promised him, kissing his lips quickly.

Leaning against the counter, the Doctor watched her as she washed the dishes. It had been a rough week for him, her too but he was glad he was able to apologize to her. In the back of his mind he knew she wouldn’t run from their relationship, but that didn’t mean the fear wasn’t still there.

“Are you seriously watching me?” She questioned, not turning around.

“Yup.”

Shaking her head, Rose smiled to herself as she finished the last dish. Putting them on the rack to dry she turned around to face him. “Thanks for making dinner.”

“Can we count it as date five?”

Laughing softly, she walked over to him, leaning her head against his chest. “I thought you were breaking rules?”

“Oh I am.” He confirmed, wrapping his arms around her.

“Sure, we can count it as date five.” Pulling back, she gave him a smile. “I’m going to put my stuff in the living room so I’m ready to go in the morning. Did you finish packing?”

“No.” He gave her an innocent grin.

“Well go pack.” With one more smile, Rose walked over to her bedroom, pulling out her suitcase and laundry basket. She had been saving her laundry to do when she got to her parents.

While Rose was busy getting ready for the morning, the Doctor walked into his room to pack. Finding his suitcase, he started throwing stuff into it.

“Is that seriously how you pack?” Rose questioned, leaning against the doorframe. “Do you want some help?”

“Yes.” He admitted, sheepishly. “Would you mind?”

“Not at all.” Going over to the bed, she sat down next to the suitcase and pulled everything out. Folding everything properly, she started to repack his bag.

“So are you excited?” The Doctor checked around his room to make sure he had everything he needed to bring with him.

“Yeah, I am. It’ll be nice to spend time with everyone. Are you excited to see Wilf?”

“I am. Donna said he hasn’t been feeling well lately.”

Rose gave him a smile, squeezing his hand. “He’ll be okay.” Rose finished packing his things and stood up. “You only packed three pairs of jeans, is that going to be enough?”

“Probably not.”

Giggling, she shook her head. “Go sit. I’ll make sure you have enough of everything.” Going over to his closet, she grabbed a couple more pairs of jeans and a pair of dress pants along with a few more shirts. Folding those, she placed them in the case. “You’re all set.”

“Ta.” Standing up from the bed he kissed her cheek before closing the case. He brought it out to the living room next to hers before returning to his room.

“I should probably get myself to bed. It’s getting late.”

“You can stay in here with me, if you want.”

Biting her lip, Rose thought about it for a few seconds before nodding her head. “I’d like that.”

“I’ll go get changed, you get comfortable.” Grabbing his pajama bottoms, he walked into the bathroom to change.

Rose climbed under the covers after setting the Doctor’s alarm. Laying on her side, she waited for him.

The Doctor came back into the room and turned off the light. Going over to the bed, he slipped in next to her. Once he settled in, he felt her move closer to him. Lifting his arm, he wrapped it around her as she got comfortable. They hadn’t been close like this before. In the past, if they shared a bed, someone was always on top of the covers. “You okay?”

Rose smiled, nodding her head. “Perfect.” Placing her hand over his heart, she let her head fall to his shoulder. “Night.”

“Sweet dreams, Rose.”

Rose woke up first the next morning, a little before the alarm. Quietly getting out of the bed, she turned the alarm off to let the Doctor get a bit more sleep. Taking a quick shower, she got dressed into her favorite jeans and a t-shirt. Going back into the Doctor’s room, she sat next to him on the bed, gently shaking him awake. “James?”

“Mm?” Turning on his side, he opened one of his eyes to see Rose dressed and sitting next to him.

“I let you sleep an extra twenty minutes. Why don’t you go get ready and I’ll make breakfast for us?”

“Do I get a morning kiss?” He questioned, half asleep.

“If I give you a kiss, will you wake up and get ready?”

“Yes.”

Rose leaned down and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. Pressing her body close to his, she applied a bit more press as he responded to her kiss. Slowly, she broke the kiss, leaning up on her hands, watching as he opened his eyes.

“Can I have one of those every day?”

Giggling softly, she gave him a coy smile. “I’ll think about it.” Standing up, she smoothed her shirt down. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Don’t be too long, yeah?” She left the room, heading into the kitchen to start breakfast.

“I won’t.” With a grin, he got out of the bed and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. After his shower, he went into his bedroom to grab two jumpers for their trip. Once he was set, he walked into the kitchen to see Rose packing up their breakfast for the road. Going up behind her, he slipped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Leaning back against his chest, she smiled, putting the rest of the stuff in the bag. “I made breakfast sandwiches if that’s okay?”

“Anything is fine. Are you ready to go?”

“I am. Are you?”

“Yes. I grabbed a jumper for you, for the ride.”

“I knew I was forgetting something. Thanks.” Kissing his cheek she cleaned up the rest of the mess before grabbing the bag. “I have two travel mugs of coffee too.”

“Let me bring our bags down then I’ll come back up to help you.”

“I’ll be fine. Use the lift though to bring everything down, I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I will.” Bringing the bags out, he walked everything over to the lift.

With a quick look around she grabbed the bag with their food and the mugs. Walking out, she locked the door behind her before walking down the stairs. Seeing he was by the car, she walked over to him, taking one of the jumpers from him before getting into the car.

After getting their bags into the car, he got in, seeing that she was settled. “I thought you were waiting for me?”

“I’m fine, James. The mugs have handles and the bag has handles. You worry too much.” She handed him his mug while taking a sip from hers.

“No such thing with you.” Taking the mug, he took a sip before placing it down in the cup holder. Pulling from his spot he looked at her. “Are you sure you have everything?”

“Yes, I’m sure. If I forgot anything, I’ll just pick it up when we get there.”

He nodded his head, pulling out of the parking lot.

Reaching over, Rose took his free hand in hers, lacing their fingers together as she got comfortable in her seat as he drove. “Mum said that the street markets are open. Can we go one day and walk around?”

“Sure. Haven’t been to one in a while.”

“Is there anything you want to do?”

“I’d like to go see my parents. Will you come with me?”

“Of course. I’ll always be here for you.”

Bringing their joined hands up, he kissed the back of her hand gently.

“Remember when we were around four, Wilf took us to the park, real late at night to look at the stars? He taught us all the constellations that we could see.”

“Yeah. He used to take me and Donna out all the time. Why?”

“Do you think he would take us one night while we’re here?”

“We can ask him.”

Rose leaned her head back against the headrest, watching him as he drove. “Do you want your sandwich?” She asked him after they had been driving for a while.

“I am getting a bit hungry.”

Rose reached down into the bag and pulled his sandwich out, unwrapping it a bit so he could eat with one hand while he drove.

Taking it from her, he took a big bite. “Ta.”

Rose smiled, shaking her head. “No problem.” Unwrapping hers, she took a small bite, looking out of the window.

“How hard of a slap would Jackie give me if I snuck into your room at night?”

Rose giggled softly, looking over at him. Seeing his hopeful smile she started to laugh harder, shaking her head. “I don’t want her to slap you. I’ll talk to her, just don’t make it every night and she might be okay with it.”

Finishing his sandwich, he tossed the wrapper in the bag. “That might get me more than a slap.”

“No, Mum won’t mind. She knows nothing will happen.” She handed him the other half of her sandwich. “Here, you can finish this.”

“Not hungry?”

“Not really. I’ll eat something when we get to Mum’s.” Putting on the jumper he brought for her, Rose gave him a smile. “Tony might get upset though if he can’t come in to lay with me in the morning.”

The Doctor let out an exaggerated sigh. “I guess for Tony, I’ll give up sleeping in.”

Giggling softly, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “My hero.”

Two hours later, the Doctor was pulling up in front of Rose’s parents’ house. They stepped out of the car and both stretched. While Rose had moved around a bit, the Doctor hadn’t been able to. Next time he might suggest they take the train so they could both move.

Every summer since she started at University, she made a trip home for two weeks, opting to stay in the flat with Martha during the summer. She hadn’t been back outside of holidays, the odd weekends, and two weeks during the summer. It would be good to be back this time next year. She wasn’t sure what the Doctor was going to do, but she would support him with whatever he decided.

After getting their stuff out from the car, the Doctor walked over to Rose. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her to him. “What’s wrong?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Rose looked up at him. “I was just thinking. This time next year, we’re going to be done with University. It’ll be nice to be back up here.”

“Yeah, it will. If I travel next year, will you go with me?”

“You would want me to?”

“Of course I would.”

“I might. Depends on where you decide to go.”

“We could decide together.”

While she didn’t respond, she gave him a bright smile, taking his hand in hers. “Come on, let’s go see everyone.” Grabbing her bags, she walked with him up the driveway to get to the house.

Pulling her back a bit, he looked at her. Brushing some of her hair from her face, he studied her eyes. “I mean it Rose. I don’t want to go somewhere you’re not.”

“I know, James. It’s just, this is all new to me. I’m not used to having someone care about me in the way that you care about me. I don’t want to make all these plans when they’re a year away.”

“I’m not going to leave you. We’ll take it slow, okay? I promise.”

Placing her hands flat against his chest, she nodded her head. Leaning up, she gave him a quick kiss before picking her bags back up and heading up to the house.

The Doctor smiled, watching her walk up. He was going to show her that he meant it, he wasn’t going to leave. He knew she still had doubts about relationships given everything that happened with her parents. He wanted to show her that they weren’t them. He wasn’t going to leave if things got hard. Sure this was only the beginning, but whenever he was with her, he felt like he was home.


	9. Words Not Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor spend some time with Tony. Rose has a heart to heart with her mum and dad, trying to calm some fears she has in her relationship with the Doctor.

When Rose walked into the house, Tony came running over to the door, throwing himself at Rose. “Wose!”

Laughing, Rose bent down so she was level with Tony, giving him a tight hug. “Hi T-Man. Oh I missed you.” Standing up, Rose picked Tony up with her, snuggling her little brother to her.

“I missed you too.” Tony giggled, wrapping his arms around her neck.

The Doctor walked in a few minutes later, carrying his bag.

“Doktah!” Tony held his little arms out for the Doctor to take him.

“I see when I’m not wanted.” Rose teased her brother, handing him off to the Doctor.

“Oh you’re wanted.” The Doctor winked at Rose as he took Tony from her, giving him a hug. “Hi T-Man!”

“I see that.” She gave him a smile before picking her bags up, hearing Tony talking to the Doctor about what he had been doing and all the new friends he had made at playgroup. “I’m going to go find Mum and bring my stuff upstairs. Rose stopped in the kitchen to see if her Mum was in there, when she saw she wasn’t, she headed into the living room. “Hi Mum.”

“Hi sweetheart.” Jackie walked over to her daughter, giving her a big hug. “Where’s himself?”

“Tony is talking his ear off.”

“Did you two make up?”

“Yeah, we did. We talked last night. Everything is fine.” Rose gave her mum a small smile. “Can we talk later though? James said something to me and something in my mind clicked.”

“Do you want me to give him a slap?”

Rose giggled softly, hugging her mum again. “No. James didn’t say anything wrong. I promise, we’ll talk later about it, yeah?”

“Alright sweetheart. Go get settled in.”

Rose picked her bags up, heading up the stairs. Going down the hall, she walked into her room. Dropping her bag on the bed, she put her clothes away in the closet before sitting on the bed. While she loved her parents’ house, she never felt like it was home. When they had moved, Rose had only lived in the house for a few months before she packed and moved into the flat with Martha for Uni. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to live here when she was done next year, but she knew she wanted to live close to the house so she would be able to see Tony more.

Ten minutes later, the Doctor made it upstairs. He dropped his bag in the guest room next to Rose’s before going to Rose’s room. Knocking on the door, he peaked his head in, seeing her sitting on the bed. “Everything okay?”

Rose looked up, nodding her head. “Course. Want to come in?”

“Sure.” Opening the door, he walked in, sitting on the bed next to her, holding a box in his hands.

“Tony let you go?”

“Jackie put cartoons on for him. I promised him I would play with him later.”

Laying her head on his shoulder, Rose smiled. “He really likes you.”

“I like him too. He’s a good kid.” Clearing his throat, he handed the box to her. “I made you something.”

Taking the box, she picked her head up, smiling. “You _made_ me something?”

“Oi, I’ve made you stuff before.”

“Yeah and some of it has exploded or broke.” She teased him, a smile on her face.

“This shouldn’t break. Tony’s racecar is still intact.”

“Considering he’s four, that’s a major accomplishment.” Rose opened the box, peeling back the paper that was covering whatever it was that he made. Taking the object out of the box, she looked it over before turning her gaze to him. “You made me a racecar?”

“Well, you did ask for one.”

“I did. For my birthday.”

“Well, your birthday is a long time away.”

Putting the racecar back in the box, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m going on record now saying that you’re the best boyfriend ever.”

“Even if it might break?”

“You said so yourself; Tony’s is still intact. This one shouldn’t break either. If it does, you can fix it, right?”

“Of course.” He gave her a small smile before leaning in, kissing her softly.

Breaking the kiss gently, she blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Well, there’s something I can cross off my bucket list.”

“What’s that?”

“Kissing a strange boy in my bedroom.”

“Oi!”

Giggling softly, Rose stood up, holding her hand out to him. “Want to go test this out with me?”

Taking her hand, he stood up, lacing their fingers together. “Sure.”

Leaning up, she kissed him again before walking with him downstairs. “Out back or out front?”

“Front. Do you want me to go get Tony?”

“You wouldn’t mind if he hung out with us?”

“Course not.” He gave her a smile, squeezing her hand. “I’ll meet you out front.”

Nodding her head, she squeezed his hand before letting go. Heading outside, she placed the car down on the ground, letting the car go down the driveway. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head, seeing Tony running over to her with his racecar.

“Wose!”

“Tony!” She laughed, bending down so she was at his height. “What’s up?”

“Doktah said you have a racecar too.”

“I do. Do you want to race together?”

“Yeah!”

Rose steered the racecar back to where they were, feeling the Doctor come up behind her. “We’re going to race.” She told him, a smile on her face.

“Need help?”

“Probably.”

The Doctor sat down on the ground, pulling her into his lap. He slipped his arms around her waist, taking the remote control from her. “Alright Tony, let me know when you’re ready.”

Tony stood next to them and placed his car on the ground next to his sister’s. “Doktah, you need one too.”

“Do I?” The Doctor looked over at Tony as they started their race.

“Yeah. This way you and Wose don’t haveta share.”

“I like sharing with Rose though.” He winked at Rose as she started to giggle.

“Is that cause she’s your girlfriend?”

“Yes, she is. But I also like sharing with Rose because she’s my best mate.”

“Oh.” He responded, focused on trying to steer his car.

Rose leaned her head against the Doctor’s watching as the cars moved. “Where is the finish line?”

“End of the driveway.”

Rose squinted a bit as they were both close to the end. She saw out of the corner of her eye that the Doctor pressed a button which made his car speed up. “Uh-oh Tony, Doctor won.”

Tony turned to the Doctor, a slight pout on his face. “Can we race again?”

“Sure. Let’s get the cars back up here.”

Tony ran to the middle of the driveway to watch his car as he drove it in.

Rose smiled at the Doctor, kissing his cheek. “Did you put something different on the remote for my car than Tony’s?”

He gave her a sheepish smile, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe?”

Taking the remote from him, she laughed softly, turning her head so she could steer their car back up. “Just don’t let him find out.”

“I can always reconfigure his remote and add it. I figured it would be better to add when he gets older.”

“Mum said he plays with it in the house, so I think your idea was good.” Once the car was back, she handed the remote back to the Doctor. “Good thing though that we have a long driveway.” She smiled at Tony when he walked up to them. “Having fun?”

“Yeah! I like playing racecars with Doktah.”

Rose leaned forward, ruffling the boy’s hair a bit. “Yeah? He likes it too.” Sitting back up, she leaned her head against the Doctor’s again. “Get in the starting line.”

Once both cars were set, the Doctor called out, “1, 2, 3, Go!” Both cars soon raced down the driveway. The second time, Tony’s car beat the Doctor’s down the driveway. He smiled, watching Tony do his victory dance.

Rose laughed, shaking her head at her little brother’s antics. “Good job, Tony!”

Tony giggled, going over to his sister. “Can I try doing flips now?”

“Sure, just stay where we can see you, yeah?”

Tony nodded his head before he went further down the driveway, still within Rose’s sight.

Putting the remote down, the Doctor wrapped his arms tighter around Rose’s waist.

“Did you decide when you’re going to see your Aunt and Uncle?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. Donna is going over with me. I spoke with Gramps earlier in the week and he’s excited to see me.”

Rose gave him a smile, running her fingers through his hair gently. “Mum said Donna was invited for dinner, just have to see when she’s free. Wilf is invited too.”

“I’ll talk to them tomorrow.”

“You’ll be okay going? I know you don’t always get along with Sylvia.”

“Donna will be there. I’ll be fine.”

Pressing a kiss to his temple, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m only a text away if you need me.”

“You don’t want to go with me?”

“Spend some time one-on-one with them. If you go back, I’ll go with you then.”

“Can we spend the morning together?”

“Course we can. We can go get breakfast if you want.”

“I have the perfect plan.”

“You saying those words never ends well.” Rose looked at her watch and called over to Tony. “Tony, it’s almost lunch time. Let’s go inside and clean up.” She watched Tony pick up his car and run into the house with it. Standing up, she held her hands out for the Doctor to take. “Thanks for playing with him.”

Standing up, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “Well, there is one way you can thank me.”

Smiling, Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. She had a pretty good idea of what his idea was. “Oh yeah? How’s that then?”

“Welllll, you could kiss me.”

“Suppose I could.” Leaning in closer, she pressed her lips to his. Trapping his bottom lip between hers, she nibbled gently before releasing his lip. Quickly pressing her lips back to his, she felt their lips clash together, hers soft against his rough lips.

Breaking the kiss slowly, he leaned his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. “Can I keep you forever?”

Blushing softly, Rose ran her fingers through his hair gently. “If you’d like.”

“Oh I’d like very much so.”

“Oi! You two. Stop snogging on my front lawn!”

Rose and the Doctor turned their heads to see Jackie standing at the front door. Both, with guilty looks nodded their head. “Sorry Mum.” “Sorry Jackie.”

Taking his hand, Rose bent down and picked up the car and remote. “Let’s go in.”

“I guess the chance of me not getting slapped for sneaking into your room just disappeared.”

Rose laughed, seeing that he was very upset about this. “I’ll protect you, don’t worry.” Walking into the house she left the Doctor downstairs while she ran up to her room to put her car away. Taking off her sneakers, she put them away before heading back downstairs. Heading into the kitchen she helped her mum make lunch.

“Tony’s been rattling about that toy car. Did himself really make it?”

“He did. Made me one too.” Rose paused, finishing making a sandwich for the Doctor. “Thanks for letting him stay with us.”

“It’s alright sweetheart. He’s welcome anytime.”

Rose gave her mum a quick hug before taking Tony and the Doctor’s plates out to them. When Jackie brought the rest of the plates out, she took hers and sat down next to the Doctor. After lunch, Tony went up to take a nap and the Doctor decided to go upstairs and unpack his things and read for a while. “I’m going to stay and watch television with Mum.” She told him, tucking herself into his side for a hug.

“I’ll see you later then.” He went to kiss her, but one look from Jackie made him kiss her cheek. Heading up the stairs, he walked into the guest room.

Rose and Jackie went into the living room and Jackie turned on some movie. It had been awhile since she had both her babies under the same roof and she was happy they could spend time together as a family. “What did you want to talk about, Love?”

Rose let out a small sigh, letting her head fall to her mother’s shoulder. “James promised me he wasn’t going to leave me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I know, it’s just, we just got together, isn’t it a bit soon to promise stuff like that?”

“That boy has been in love with you since you were teenagers.”

“He has not.”

Jackie just smiled, smoothing Rose’s hair back from her face. “Go on.”

“I’m scared to trust someone not to leave. Like dad left.”

“Oh sweetheart. Your dad left for different reasons. We were struggling, so much that we didn’t always make it paycheck to paycheck. We fought a bit and neither of us wanted to raise you like that. Yeah, he left, he regrets it though, now. When your dad came back to us, I yelled at him. We fought. It took me a long time to let him back in. I didn’t dare allow him to see you again until I knew he and I would be okay.”

Rose sighed, picking some lint from her pants. “Did you ever stop loving him?”

“Never. He gave me you, for that I would always love him. I gave him a second chance because I knew I would be able to trust him again over time.”

“And do you?”

“I do.”

“Do you ever feel like he’ll leave again?”

“Sometimes. I talk to him about it and he promises over and over not to. He hasn’t left us again. I trust him.” Jackie looked down at her daughter. “Is this why you’re afraid to talk to your dad?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders a bit. “I’ve been trying. I just don’t know how to talk to him about stuff outside of school and work. I’m a bit jealous that Tony gets to spend all this time with dad at his age, doing stuff I never could with him.”

“He missed out on that too, Rose.”

“Yeah, by his choice.” She mumbled, feeling tears stinging at her eyes.

“You should talk to your Dad, Love. Hear what he has to say.”

Nodding her head, Rose wiped at her eyes. “What if James leaves like Dad did?”

“You and he aren’t your father and I. He won’t leave you. You two have your heads on. He’d do anything for you.”

“Dad would do anything for you.”

“Now he would. We were different people back then, we’re better together now then we were before.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Do you feel better?”

“Yeah, a bit. I think I will talk to Dad.”

Jackie rubbed her back a bit, her eyes focused on her daughter. They had never spoken about her father coming back into their lives and while she should have then, she had just been so wrapped up in being with Pete again, she didn’t think to. She never realized how conflicted her daughter had been. Looking back now, she could see why she ran off with Jimmy. “Why don’t you go upstairs and rest? Keep himself out of trouble. Your dad should be home soon.”

“I will.” Sitting up, Rose looked at her Mum. “He doesn’t usually work on Saturdays, does he?”

“No, not usually. He’s finishing up some paperwork before he takes vacation. He wanted to be around while you’re here.”

“Yeah? That’s be nice.” Rose stood up from the couch and headed towards the stairs. “I almost forgot. James and I are going out for breakfast tomorrow before he goes over to Sylvia’s house.”

“You’re not going with him?”

“I wanted to give him some time with just his family. He’s going to ask Donna when she’s free for dinner while we’re here.”

“Just let me know.”

“I will.” Rose walked up the stairs and headed towards the guest room. Knocking softly, she opened the door, peaking her head in. The Doctor was laying on the bed, reading. “Want some company?”

He closed his book and looked up at her as he took his glasses off. “You never have to ask.” He could see she was a bit upset from the tear tracks on her face. He hoped whatever she spoke to her mum about was okay. He hated seeing her upset.

Rose smiled and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. Climbing on the bed, she lay next to him, her head on his shoulder. “What were you reading?”

“ _Oliver Twist_.” Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he brought her closer to his side.

“Again?”

“It’s a classic Rose!” Scooching down, he lay flat on the bed, moving her to lay with him. “Everything okay with your mum?”

Rose cuddled into his side, glad that he knew what she needed without her having to tell him. Her mum’s words were slowly sinking into her mind. She knew she wouldn’t have to worry about him walking away. She just had to trust herself and know that they would be okay. “Yeah. We were just talking about things.”

“Relationship things?”

“Yeah, a bit.”

“Did it help?”

“It did.”

Leaning down a bit he wiped her eyes and her cheeks before placing a kiss to her forehead. “I might not be able to help, but you can talk to me.”

Rose gave him a small smile, placing her arm over his stomach. “I can’t exactly talk to you about you.”

“Ah, yes. That might be a bit awkward.”

With a small giggle, she closed her eyes, her head nestled in between his neck and shoulder. “She also suggested I talk to my dad.”

“You’re afraid I might leave.” When she didn’t reply, he ran his hand gently over her back, rubbing soothing circles into it. “I can’t promise I won’t lock myself in the parts room, as you call it, and not talk to you for days. But if you go in there and you need me, I will drop what I’m doing and talk to you, help you with what you need. I’ll still go days without sleeping because I can’t get an idea out of my head and I need to write it down. But if you need me to lay with you, or sit in your room with you, I will. I’ll try my hardest to be there whenever you need me and I promise, I will never intentionally leave you.”

“Mum said we’re not like her and dad. She said we have our heads on. She’s right. We’re different than they were when they were our age. You’re my best mate and now, you’re more than that. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“You won’t.” He promised her, wrapping his other arm around her so he could hold her.

“You won’t lose me either.” She told him, pressing a gentle kiss to his clavicle.

As they lay there wrapped in each other, Rose and the Doctor fell asleep. He had always been there for her and she had always been there for him. Aside from her few months with Jimmy, they had seen each other every day. When the Doctor was fifteen he constantly fought with his Aunt. He wasn’t close to his Uncle and while Donna was away, he felt like he didn’t have a family. This had been before Rose’s dad came back so he would go over to Rose’s and vent to her. Jackie would let him stay for dinner before sending him home. She would always tell him that losing his parents hadn’t been hard on just him and Donna, it had been hard on his Aunt and Uncle. Jackie would tear up a bit at this and he would remember that Jackie too lost friends that night. It eventually got better, there was less fighting, and he wasn’t running away all the time. Still, he hated going over there, only to hear his Aunt nagging Donna about something, or asking him what he was doing with his life.

A few hours later, the Doctor woke up to see Rose was still fast asleep in his arms. Not wanting to wake her, he continued to lay there, thinking. It had taken them awhile to get to the point where they were now. Part of him wished he had said something when they were in secondary school but he wasn’t sure they would still be where they were today if he had. Right before Rose met Jimmy, he had started dating this girl Joan. While she got along with everyone, he just couldn’t find it in himself to fully commit to her. They had lasted his last year of secondary school and his first year of Uni. When summer came, he ended it with her. When school started up again, he dated but didn’t have another girlfriend. Towards the end of the year, he met Christina. They had had fun, but neither of them wanted to commit so they ended it. He hadn’t dated and was going to ask Rose out but they he met Reinette. When he was with Reinette, he hardly saw his friends. He tried to make time but Reinette was always pulling him away from them. Maybe this was part of the reason why Rose thought he would leave her? Now he had the one he had wanted all along, the one he should have been with.

Feeling Rose stir in his arms, the Doctor loosened his hold on her, pressing a kiss into her hair.

“Mm, James?”

“Who else would it be?”

“Hot pool boy?” She teased him, her warm breath on his neck.

“Your parents don’t even have a pool!” He huffed, a pout planted on his lips.

Giggling softly, Rose leaned up a bit, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Pressing her lips to his, she kissed away his pout. “I’m glad it’s you.”

Kissing her back, he ran his hands up and down her arms. “Me too.” Brushing her hair from her face, he looked up at her. “Have a good nap?”

“Yeah, I did. Sorry that I fell asleep.”

“I did too, so don’t worry about it.”

“I should go see if Dad is home. Do you want to come with me, or stay here?”

“I’ll come down in a few.”

“Don’t take too long.” With one last kiss she climbed off the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Letting out a breath, he let himself calm down before getting up out of the bed. He walked downstairs to see Rose sitting on the couch with Pete. She looked better from when she came upstairs after her talk with Jackie. The rest probably did her some good. Going into the living room, he shook hands with Pete before sitting in one of the chairs.

“Rose was telling me everything is settled now with the flats?”

“Yes, it is. We have a routine down.”

Rose stuck her tongue out at the Doctor playfully before turning back to her father. “Everything is fine. It’s weird sharing a flat with a bloke. It’s an adjustment from living with Martha but it’s good.”

“She doesn’t snore like Mickey, so it’s good for me too.”

Pete turned to Rose, a small smile on his face. “Work is good too?”

“I was busy the last couple weeks pulling doubles but once we go back, it’ll go back to normal.”

“Why were you doing doubles?”

Rose sighed, leaning her head against the back of the couch. “I’m saving, I told you that.”

While Rose had told him she was saving for the year, he hadn’t wanted her to worry about it. After this year, she wouldn’t be in school. This would be her last year to enjoy with her friends. Before she left he would talk to her, see if she would accept his offer to help. “Right, you did. I’m sorry poppet, I forgot.”

“’S alright. I got my grades back, didn’t do too badly. Got A’s on everything.” Rose told her dad, a small smile on her face.

“I’m proud of you, poppet.”

“Thanks.” Rose leaned over and hugged her dad tightly, seeing her mum next to him, giving her a proud smile as well.

Later that night after dinner, Jackie was getting Tony ready for bed. The Doctor had gone outside to call his Aunt to confirm about the following day. Rose found her dad sitting on the couch, watching television. Padding over to him in her pajamas, she sat down next to him. “Dad?”

“Yes, poppet?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Turning, he leaned against the back of the couch so they could talk.

It took her a few minutes to gain the courage to ask the question she wanted to. “Why did you leave?” She questioned, her voice quiet.

Pete was taken back by her question. He had expected this question, he just expected it four years ago. “I never wanted to leave you or your mum. Please understand that. We were struggling. There were days where I couldn’t provide much for your or your mum. I knew you two would be better off without me.” Pete paused, a bit to gather his thoughts. He had been hard for him to leave his girls and there were many times during the years where he wanted to go back. “I regret it. There isn’t a day since I left that I don’t regret it. I thought maybe one day, once I saved up enough, I would go back. I just never realized it would take me fifteen years.”

“Did you miss us?”

“Every day.”

“Do you plan on leaving again?”

“Never. You, your mum, and Tony, you mean everything to me. I lost that once, I won’t lose it again.”

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Rose let out a sigh. “When I was a kid, Mum used to tell me stories about you. How when I was first born, you would be working all day and come home at night exhausted but you knew Mum had been home with me. Instead of going to sleep, you took care of me and let Mum sleep. I don’t understand how you could go from that to leaving us.”

“I was trying to find solid work so I could provide better for you. I have no logical reasoning behind why I left.”

“Do you realize how difficult it was for me to grow up without you? How difficult it was for me to see Mum so sad all the time because she missed you? How difficult it was for Mum to work two jobs and raise a kid?”

“No, I never did Rose. If I could take it all back, I would.”

“Would you? Because yeah, it’s nice that you’re able to provide for us now, but it doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t there when I was growing up.”

“I know it doesn’t Rose. If I could, I would go back and I would stay. I know it doesn’t make up for anything, but I’m here now.”

“When I see you with Tony, it hurts because I know I’ll never have the memories he’ll have with you. Yeah, I had those memories with Mum, but I’ll never have them with both of you like he will.”

“That’s something I regret.”

“I don’t want you to regret it though.” She told him quietly, a few minutes later. “I know we can’t go back, we can only go forward. It’s just it’s not only me and Mum this time, its Tony too. I don’t want him growing up without a dad like I did.”

“He won’t. I won’t let any more time pass between you and me either.”

“You work a lot.” She pointed out to him. “I may have picked up that bad habit from you.”

Pete gave a slight chuckle. “I’m slowing down a bit. I missed everything with you and I missed a few things with Tony. I don’t want to miss anymore.”

Nodding her head, Rose looked down at her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry for getting angry.”

“You had every right to be. You’re a bit like me. I hold everything in and let it out all at once.”

“’S just hard to talk to you.”

“Another thing to work on together.”

Rose gave him a small smile, nodding her head. “Yeah.”

Pete moved over a bit and wrapped his daughter in a hug. “Every time I see your grades or how far you’ve come, you make me so proud. I’m lucky I have a daughter like you.”

Rose hugged her dad, resting her chin on his shoulder. “I fought hard to get where I am. I’m going to keep working hard.”

“Just don’t work too hard, yeah? Your mum told me what happened with the Doctor.”

Blushing, Rose broke from the hug, shrugging her shoulders. “I guess it’s just a habit to work whenever I have down time. I’ll get out of it.”

“I think you need more down time next year. Let me pay your rent, please?”

“You and Mum are already paying for my schooling. It’s too much.”

“We don’t mind. We don’t want you to end up sick.”

With a defeated sigh, Rose nodded her head. “Alright. And I’ll try to come home on weekends more so that we can spend more time as a family.”

“I’d like that.”

Jackie came down the steps a few minutes later to see them relaxing on the couch. She could see her daughter’s eye were red and her husband’s weren’t that far off from being red. “Everything alright?”

Rose glanced to her father, before turning back to her mother. “Yeah, we’re okay. I’m going to go find James to say goodnight then I’m off to bed.  “I’ll see you in the morning?”

“If we’re not up when you leave for breakfast, have fun.”

“More than likely you’ll see us. James sleeps in way too late.” Giving both her parents a hug, she walked outside to see the Doctor sitting on the steps. Walking down, she sat down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. “Everything go okay?”

The Doctor wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “Yeah. Did your talk with your dad go okay?”

“I yelled a bit, he was surprisingly okay with it. I think we’ll be okay. I think I can finally forgive him for leaving. I don’t think he meant to hurt mum or me, and he realizes it now that he did.”

“Sometimes people don’t always think about what’s right for others, when they make decisions. Yes, he was trying to establish a better life for himself that would benefit you and Jackie, but in the end he lost what was important.”

“When did you get all philosophical?”

“About two years ago now.” He joked, running his hand up and down her arm. “Let’s get you up to bed. Tomorrow is a new day, everything will be better.” He stood up, holding his hands out to her.

Taking his hands, she pulled herself up with his help. Pressing her lips to his in a gentle kiss, she ran her fingers over his cheek. “Thank you for encouraging me to talk to my Dad.”

“How many times did you encourage me to talk to my Aunt and Uncle?”

“Quite a few.”

“Our relationship might not be the best, but we’re okay. I can talk to them about my parents now.”

“I’m glad that you can.” Taking his hand, she walked up the steps with him and back into the house. Closing the door to the back, she locked it before heading up the stairs. As they passed the living room, they said good night to her parents. When they got in front of her door she leaned against it, looking up at him. “Will you come lay with me for a bit?”

“As long as you need me to.” Opening the door to her room, he walked in with her, closing the door behind him. As they settled in for the night, the Doctor wrapped his arms around her, before they fell asleep. After one last kiss for the night, the pair fell asleep. Everything seemed so much easier with her by his side.


	10. Close for Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor spend the morning together before going to visit his parents' grave. Later on, Rose spends the afternoon with her parents while the Doctor visits his Aunt and Uncle. After a trying evening, he has a heart to heart with Jackie and realizes how lucky he is to have Rose and her family in his life.

The Doctor woke up before Rose the next morning. As his eyes adjusted to the light coming in the room and to being awake, he pulled Rose closer to him, burying his face into her neck. He hadn’t wanted to wake her, he just wanted to be closer to her. A few minutes later, he heard a mumbled, “James?” come from Rose. Cringing a bit, feeling terrible that he woke her, he ran his hand gently up and down her back. He kept his voice low in hope that she would be able to fall back to sleep. “I’m here. Go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?” Her voice was laden with sleep, it took him a few moments to process it. Not really wanting to know what the time was, Rose snuggled closer to the warm body next to her.

Lifting his head a bit, he peaked over at the clock that was next to her bed. It read seven, which meant it was too early for either of them to be up. “Early. Go back to sleep.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, before leaning his head down close to hers.

With a small nod, Rose drifted back to sleep, feeling the Doctor close to her.

As they laid there, the Doctor watched her as she slept. He always felt at peace with her nearby. She always made him feel calm. Their friendship was one of the few constants he had in his life. Sure, he had his sister and Gramps, but with Rose, it was different. He knew he was lucky that he had her in his life and would try everything possible to keep her in his life. It had been almost a month since they started dating; the best few weeks of his life. Half an hour later, Rose started to stir again. Brushing the hair back from her face, he ran his thumb over her cheek to sooth her.

Rose blinked her eyes open and saw the Doctor watching her. “’S creepy.” She mumbled to him, her eyes closing again.

Chuckling, the Doctor ran his fingers over her arm, to her hand where he laced their fingers together. “What is?”

“You watchin’ me.”

“I like watching you sleep.”

“Why?”

“You look so peaceful. I wish you looked like that all the time.”

Opening her eyes, Rose gave him a small smile. “When I’m with you, I feel that way.”

Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, despite her protests of morning breath. “That’s how I feel about you too.”

A genuine smile came across Rose’s lips, bringing their joined hands to rest in between them. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” He smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand, his eyes still on her. “Feeling better today?”

“I am. Talking to dad helped me.”

“I’m glad.” Pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, he moved to lay on his back, his arm wrapping around her as she cuddled against his side.

Laying her head against his shoulder, Rose closed her eyes again, her hand resting against his chest. “I agreed to let them help with rent starting in August. Which means I’ll be around the flat more.”

The Doctor smiled, letting his hand rest on top of hers. “You’ll have no complaints from me.”

“You won’t get sick of me?”

“Never.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, the Doctor closed his eyes for a few minutes.

“James?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re going to need to get up eventually.”

“A few more minutes?”

“Sure.” As they lay there, Rose let out a content sigh. After about ten minutes, Rose leaned her head up and pressed her lips to his quickly before slipping out of the bed.

Before she could move, the Doctor sat up in the bed, his legs over the side. Reaching over he grabbed her arm gently, stopping her from heading into the bathroom. “Rose? Could we make a stop after breakfast?”

Smiling, she ran her hand through his hair, massaging his scalp a bit. “Of course. Where do you want to go?”

“I’d like to see my parents.”

Nodding her head, she slipped her arms around his shoulders, looking at him. “We can stop and get some flowers before we head over there, yeah?”

“Thank you.” Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stood up, and hugged her tightly.

“You’re always there for me, I’d like to always be there for you.”

Letting her go, he leaned his forehead against hers briefly, their noses touching. “I’ll let you get ready. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Okay. I’ll try not to take too long.” With one last kiss, Rose walked into her bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

After Rose got into the shower, the Doctor went back into the guest room to grab his things. Heading down the hall, he headed into the guest bathroom to take a shower. Once he was done, he headed downstairs into the living room to wait for Rose. Seeing Pete was awake, he sat on the couch. “Morning.”

Pete closed his newspaper and nodded at the Doctor in greeting. “Morning. Is Rose up?”

“Yes. She’s upstairs getting ready.”

“How is she doing this morning?” He questioned, knowing that his daughter told him at least some of what they discussed the night before.

“She’s fine. She feels better. She was glad you two talked.”

“She’s quite like her mother, but she’s also a lot like me. I tend to have a hard time communicating as well.”

“I don’t think it’s that. She’s had a hard time adjusting to everything. You missed out on a lot with her, she never wanted that.”

“Neither did I.”

“She knows that.”

“You’re taking care of her?”

The Doctor knew where this was headed and honestly, he had been expecting this. “As much as she’ll let me. She’s very independent. Not that I would change that.”

Pete smiled, shaking his head. “And your intentions?”

“I have the utmost respect for your daughter, sir. I’m going to be there for her for whatever, as long as she’ll have me. I care about her deeply.” His voice was low as he admitted this.

“So long as you don’t hurt her, you have my blessing. You make her happy, which is all I could ever ask for.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Rose walked down the stairs at that moment, giving them both a smile.

The Doctor stood up and walked over to meet her. Taking her hand in his, he gave her a bright smile. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Lacing their fingers together, Rose walked over to the couch with him, kissing her dad on the cheek. “Morning. We’ll see you later.”

“Have fun.” He waved goodbye to them as they walked out.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, the Doctor looked over to Rose. “Never leave me alone with your father again.”

All Rose could do was laugh in response.

The Doctor drove them over to a diner that they had been going to since secondary school. They were seated in a booth and the Doctor insisted on sitting on the same side as Rose.

“You can still see me on the other side of the table, you know.”

Putting his arm over the back of the seat, he shrugged shoulders. “I know. I’ll move if you want.”

Rose shook her head quickly, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I want you to stay.” Picking up her menu, Rose leaned into the Doctor, letting him share her menu. “What are you getting?”

Looking over the menu, his eyes lit up. “They still have the banana waffles.”

“I should have known.” She teased him, her tongue poking out from behind her teeth.

“Come on, Rose. I haven’t had those in over a year.” He pouted a bit, giving her a pitiful look.

“I won’t stop you from getting them. Though, if you wanted, all I would need is a waffle maker and I could make them for you at home.”

The Doctor looked over at her, a small smile on his lips. “That’s the first time you’ve called it home, not the flat.”

“I’m sorry. It is home to me. It’s just taking some getting used to.” Taking his hand, she laced their fingers together. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

“I know. I just want you to feel like it’s your home.”

“It does. I promise.” The waitress came by and took their orders. While the Doctor ordered banana waffles, she ordered blueberry pancakes. Thanking the waitress, Rose handed their menus back before she walked away. Turning a bit towards the Doctor, she gave him a smile. “So what were you and Dad talking about before I got downstairs?”

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep breath. “Well, just the usual father/boyfriend speech. Nothing to worry over.”

Rose narrowed her eyes, watching him. “He didn’t say anything, did he?”

“No, nothing. He just wants to make sure I’m taking care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

He pouted a bit, taking her hand in his, letting their fingers lace together. “Sometimes I’d like to take care of you.” He admitted quietly.

Her gaze softened and she leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I know. I’m just not used to it. But you do take care of me. I am grateful. Did he say anything else?”

“Said I made you happy.”

“You do, very much. Do I make you happy?”

Brushing his thumb over her cheek, he nodded his head, letting his fingers twirl in her hair. “You do.”

Rose gave him a bright smile. “I’m just glad Dad got to you before Mum could.”

The Doctor paled at that comment.

A few minutes later, their food arrived. Letting go of her hair, the Doctor tucked into his breakfast. “Mm. If I get a waffle maker, will you make these?”

Rose nodded her head softly, watching him with a content gaze. “Course. We’ll stop at the mall while we’re here and we’ll see what we can find.” Rose tucked into her own breakfast, her free hand resting on his leg.

Once their breakfast was over, the Doctor settled their bill, and walked out of the diner with Rose. Before he drove them over to the cemetery, the Doctor stopped at a florist to pick up some flowers. Rose stayed in the car, so he could have a moment alone to pick them out. When he got back into the car, he handed her two Stargazer lilies. Smiling at him, Rose gave him a quick kiss.

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

“I realized I never gave you flowers before.” He admitted sheepishly.

Pressing another kiss to his lips, she smiled. “Doesn’t matter to me. But these? These are perfect.”

Giving her a kiss the Doctor pulled back a bit, giving her a grin, before driving again. He pulled into the cemetery and parked the car over by the area where his parents were buried. Getting out of the car, he went around to open her door. Taking her hand, he walked over with her, finding their grave. He sat down in front of the headstone, placing the flowers down.

Rose placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She went to back up a bit, but felt the Doctor’s hand come up to hers and he tugged on it gently, looking up at her. “Do you want me to sit with you?” She asked him softly, giving him a small smile.

“Please.” Taking her hand in his again, he helped her to sit down in his lap. Leaning his head against her shoulder, he held her close to him.

Rose leaned her head against his, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Pressing a kiss to his hairline, Rose smoothed his hair down a bit, trying to comfort him.

The Doctor was quiet for a few minutes, just staring at the gravestone. It had been hard for him at the age of eight to lose his parents. He knew it had been harder on Donna though, since she had been thirteen at the time. He remembers her going through a rebellious period around that time too, which made it even harder. “I think my mum would have liked that we’re together.”

Rose smiled softly, running her hand up and down his back. “Yeah? I remember when we were little, we had just started school and I went over to yours one day and we were playing in the yard. Mum had just started a new job so I hadn’t seen her much and I was sad. Your mum brought me inside and we made biscuits. The same ones you told me she used to make for you all the time.”

“She was always a good baker.” He smiled wistfully, staring at the stone.

“Your dad always helped us with making forts too.”

“He’d always use the dining room chairs. The tall ones we could never move. One time he used the good sheets to make a fort. Mum didn’t get mad though. Said as long as we didn’t rip it, we could use it.”

“I know it’s hard, James but you do have a lot of happy memories with them.” She told him, her voice low.

“Yeah, I know.”

Rose wrapped her arms around him tighter, pressing light kisses to his forehead and temple. Laying her head against his, she felt him lay his head back on her shoulder. She knew, as he got older, it had been harder for him to come here. She knew the last time he had been here was Christmas time before they went back to campus. She would give up everything she could for him to have his parents back.

“Rose?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind if we left your parents’ house a day early?”

“Not at all. Is there something you need to do?”

“No. I just want to spend the day with you, just us.”

“I’d like that. We could build a fort if you want?”

The Doctor let out a breath, nodding his head. “Yes.”

Rubbing her hand up and down his back, Rose felt him squeeze his arms around her to have a better hold. She wasn’t sure what she could say to make him feel better so she just hoped being here was enough.

They stayed there silently for another half an hour before the Doctor picked his head up. “Could we go back now?”

“Course we can. Do you want me to give you a minute alone?”

“Would you mind?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Kissing his cheek, Rose unfolded herself from the Doctor and stood up. Rose pressed a kiss to her hand before placing her hand against the stone. Squeezing his shoulder gently, she made her way back to the car, slipping in.

The Doctor watched her get into the car before turning back to the stone. He hadn’t had enough time with them, eight years was not enough for him. But at least, they were together, they weren’t alone. Standing up, the Doctor brushed his jeans off before tapping his fingers against the stone. “Rose, she’s great. She turned into a remarkable woman. Someone I am lucky enough to have by my side. You two would have loved her.” He paused, wishing Rose hadn’t gone to the car. “I miss you both.” With one last look, the Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets, making his way over to the car. Getting in, he started it up again but not moving.

“Are you alright, James?” Rose asked softly, biting down on her lip.

The Doctor looked over at her, nodding his head. Leaning over, the Doctor pressed his lips to hers gently. “I am now.”

Kissing him back, Rose smiled softly. “Do you want me to drive?” She knew he hated anyone else driving his car. Their friends would often tease him that he treated the car like a baby.

The Doctor pulled a face, shaking his head quickly. “No, ta. You might scratch her.”

“Oi!” Rose giggled softly, leaning back against her seat. “I would do no such thing.”

“Besides, you know she’s temperamental.” He reminded her as he pulled out of his spot, heading back towards Rose’s parents’ house.

“Excuses.”

As he drove, he reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Rose smiled over at him, squeezing his hand back. “I’ll miss you this afternoon.”

“I’ll miss you too. Did you make plans yet with your parents?”

“Not yet. I’ll have to see what Mum wants to do. Would you mind if I offered to babysit Tony one night so they could go out?”

“Nope. We could take him to do something.”

“He’d like that.” Rose turned her head to look out of the window. “Most blokes would be running in the other direction if they knew they would have to babysit someone’s sibling.”

“I’m not most blokes though.”

“Believe me, I know. ‘M not complaining, I just appreciate it, is all.”

The Doctor pulled up into the driveway and parked the car, turning it off. “Does that mean I can give him ice cream?”

“If you want to be up with him, you can.” She shot him an innocent grin before getting out of the car. “After all, he can be just as hyper as you sometimes.” She teased him.

“I’m not that bad.” He pouted, getting out of the car himself. Going around, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her gently.

“Mm, not at all.” Kissing him back, she took his hand into hers as they walked up the driveway to go into the house. “What time are you leaving to go over to your Aunt’s?”

“About one.”

“Donna is meeting you there?”

“Yup. She’s bringing Jack too.”

Rose let them into the house and closed the door behind them. “I guess that got serious then.”

“Yeah, it did.” He made a face, shaking his head.

“You could give him the same talk Dad gave you.” She reminded him, walking into the living room with him.

His face brightened up at that. Sitting on the couch, he pulled her to sit next to him. Tony was sitting on the floor, playing with his toy cars.

Rose snuggled up to the Doctor’s side, resting her head against his shoulder. “Hey Tony, where are Mum and Dad?”

“Daddy went to the store and Mummy is in the kitchen.” He looked up at Rose and the Doctor, a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong T-Man?” The Doctor questioned him, seeing the frown on his face.

“You leaved without saying bye this morning.”

“We’re sorry, sweetheart. Come here, I’ll give you a hug and a snuggle.” Rose sat up, feeling the Doctor’s hand move to her lower back.

Tony ran over to his sister and let her scoop him up.

Rose leaned back against the couch, giving him a hug and letting him cuddle with her. “James is going out soon so we can have some time together, okay?”

“Will you read me a story at bed time?”

“Course I will.” Kissing the top of his head, Rose smiled over at the Doctor, feeling him move closer to her.

“Hey Tony?”

Tony picked his head up to look at the Doctor. “Yeah?”

“You’ll look after Rose for me while I’m gone, right?”

Tony’s eyes lit up and he nodded his head. “Yeah!”

“Tony, your lunch is ready.” Jackie called to him from the kitchen.

Rose placed a kiss to the top of Tony’s head before letting him down so he could go eat. Turning back to her boyfriend she kissed his lips softly. “That was sweet of you.”

Kissing her back, he pulled her into his side again. “Just don’t let it get around. Jack’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Rose giggled softly, laying her head against his shoulder.

The Doctor checks his watch a few minutes later, letting out a sigh. “You sure I can’t convince you to come with me?”

Smiling at him, she shook her head gently. “If it gets really bad, text me and I’ll make something up to get you out of there. I just want you to spend some time with your family, just you.”

“Jack’ll be there too.”

“Donna is probably bringing him around to meet Wilf and to stop her from fighting with Sylvia. If you go back, I will go with you, promise.”

The Doctor let out a sigh before kissing her lightly. “Fine.”

Giving him a smile, she stood up and held her hand out to him. “I’m a text away.”

Taking her hand, he stood up and walked with her to the door, trying not to let go of her hand. “You’ll miss me?” He questioned softly, wrapping his other arm around her waist.

Her smile was soft as she leaned her forehead against his. “I always miss you when we’re not together. You’ll be fine. If Sylvia says anything to you, just leave. You can still go see Wilf without having to see your Aunt.”

“Thank you.” He whispered softly, letting his other arm wrap around her waist. Bringing her close to him, he kissed her lips gently.

Kissing him back, she let her arms wrap around his neck. Rose broke the kiss when she heard someone clear their throat. Not having heard the door open, she looked up in surprise. “Dad!”

The Doctor gave Pete a sheepish smile, letting go of Rose. “Erm, well. I best be off. Bye Rose!” The Doctor headed out the door, closing it behind him as he ran to his car.

Pete turned to his daughter, his eyebrow raised in question, and an amused smile on his face.

Rose gave him a bright smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. “He’s a bit nervous about going to see Sylvia and Geoff today.”

“I don’t mind you two kissing, I just would rather not see it.”

“I’m sorry, dad.” Rose ducked down next to the door and picked up her bag which had the two flowers the Doctor gave to her. Plucking them out she walked into the kitchen to find something for the flowers so she could bring them up to her room.

Pete watched her walk away, shaking his head. He knew the Doctor was good for her, likewise, Rose was good for the Doctor.

Rose spent the afternoon with her parents and Tony. They ended up taking Tony to the park for a bit before they went back home to have dinner. The Doctor wasn’t back yet, but Rose wasn’t sure what time he would be back. She hoped this meant they were having a good time and everyone was getting along. After dinner, they watched a movie, Tony’s pick, before Rose took her brother upstairs to get ready for bed. Once he was dressed in his pajamas, Rose told him to pick out a book while she got changed into her pajamas. Tony decided that they needed to go into Rose’s room for the story so she got him settled on the bed, cuddled up next to her as she read his story. It hadn’t taken long for him to fall asleep.

The Doctor walked into the house around eight, just after Tony had fallen asleep. He saw Pete in the living room with Jackie, watching some television programme.

“Hello.”

Pete looked up, seeing that he looked exhausted. “How did it go?”

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Fine for the most part. Aunt Sylvia got into Donna again about her temp work and got into me about what I’m doing after University. Doesn’t think I should be traveling. Said some stuff about Jack to Donna about how he’s no good for her then said some stuff about Rose. We took Gramps with us and left, went back to Gramps’.” He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. “But she’s wrong, about Jack and Rose. He’s good to Donna, even Uncle Geoff saw it. And Rose, she’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”

Jackie frowned, her heart going out to both Donna and the Doctor. She didn’t like that Sylvia had said something about her Rose not being good enough. Her daughter was damn well good enough for him. When the Doctor’s mum had been alive, Jackie had spent time with her and Sylvia. They got along well enough so she wasn’t sure where she was coming from. Standing up, Jackie walked over to the Doctor. “Don’t listen to her. You and Donna have good heads on your shoulders. You didn’t learn from her, you learned from Wilf. I really should give her a piece of my mind. Talkin’ about my Rose like that. Jack too. You kids deserve each other.”

While the Doctor and Jackie may not have always seen eye to eye, she was there for him backing him up whenever he needed someone. The Doctor gave her a small smile, nodding his head. “Thanks, Jackie. I learned from you too, you know.”

Jackie gave him a smile before wrapping him up in a hug, knowing she’d never normally get away with it. “An’ your mum and dad, they would have been proud of you and Donna. They’d always tell me how proud of her kids she was, no matter what you did.”

The Doctor relented and hugged Jackie back, patting her on the back awkwardly. “Thanks.” Untangling himself from Jackie’s hug, he ran his hand through his hair roughly. “Wilf and Donna said any time this week they can come for dinner if the offer is still available.”

“’Course it is. You’re family. They’re welcome any time. Now, go upstairs. Rose has been a nervous wreck waiting for you. I think Tony is in with her so you may need to move him.

The Doctor nodded his head, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. “Ta. Goodnight, Jackie, Pete.”

“Night.” They both replied as Jackie settled herself back on the couch.

Walking up the stairs, he walked into his room and changed into his pajamas. He walked over to Rose’s room and knocked softly on the door. He heard a faint ‘come in’ from Rose and he opened the door to see Tony snuggled against his sister’s chest a he slept. The smile on Rose’s face made his whole day better.

“Hi, handsome.” She whispered to him as she closed the book she was reading. After she put it down, she held her hand out for him.

Sitting carefully on the bed next to her, he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. “Hi, beautiful.” Leaning over, he kissed her lips gently, their foreheads leaning against each other.

Kissing him back, she smiled against his lips. He looked like he had a rough day and wanted to cry. “Let me move Tony to his room and we can talk, yeah?”

“I’ll take him.” With one more kiss, he stood up and walked around, carefully picking Tony up. He carried him down out of the room and down the hall, to his room. After he tucked Tony in, the Doctor walked back to Rose’s room. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned against the headboard with her.

“What happened?” She questioned softly, taking his hand into hers once more.

“Aunt Sylvia told Donna she needed to get an actual job that she couldn’t keep up working as a temp.”

“Donna loves being a temp. Says she gets to meet so many interesting people. What’s so wrong about that?”

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing to us. Then she told Donna that she could do better than Jack and that he would probably walk away soon.”

Rose gasped, shaking her head. If Sylvia only knew how long Jack had been pining after Donna, she would know what kind of mistake she made. “Jack loves her. He has since they were in secondary when he moved here.”

“Try telling that to Aunt Sylvia.”

“What else happened, James?” Curling into his side, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

The Doctor let out a deep breath, putting his arm around her. “She said I shouldn’t travel after I finish University, that I should start working. Also said I could do a lot better than you, someone that wouldn’t keep me down.” His voice was low as he spoke. “Said I should be with someone who wasn’t a chav. I was ready to throw something so Jack took be out and Donna left with Gramps, went back to his and spent time together.”

Rose turned her head, trying to will the tears away. “Well, I guess we know how she feels.”

“Rose, don’t pay attention to her. She doesn’t get that there’s no one else I want to be with. She doesn’t know you now, she only remembers you from secondary school, from the few times you came over. You’ll never keep me down.” Turning her chin, he moved his head down and pressed his lips to hers. “Your mum was right, ignore her. She’s wrong. Wrong about everything.”

Rose nodded her head a bit, looking at him. “Even Jack?” She asked with a watery smile.

“Even Jack.” He confirmed, pressing his lips to hers again.

Kissing him back, she wrapped her arms around his torso as she leaned back into his side. Breaking the kiss she gave him a small smile. “I’m glad you got to see Wilf. How is he doing?”

“He’s fine. I think he’s trying to figure out what happened to Aunt Sylvia.” Running his thumb over her eyes, he wiped the few tears. “I’m glad you didn’t go with me. I wouldn’t have wanted you to sit through that.”

“I had Tony to keep me company. And my flowers.” She gestured over to her nightstand where they sat in the glass. “Mum asked if we wouldn’t mind watching Tony on Friday, she would appreciate it.”

The Doctor nodded his head, wrapping his arms around her. “We’ll see what he wants to do then.”

Rose was replaying what he told her in her mind. Shaking her head from her thoughts, she looked up at him. “Did you talk to Mum when you came in?”

He nodded his head a bit. “I did, yeah. I didn’t tell her what Aunt Sylvia said though.”

“Did it help talking to her?”

“It did.”

“So you and Mum had a heart-to-heart?” She gave him a bright smile, her tongue poking out behind her teeth.

“We did, sort of. Your dad was there.”

“She likes you.”

“I’d hope so. She said I was family.”

“You are.” She confirmed, pressing her lips to his cheek.

The Doctor gave her a smile. “Should probably tell your mum not to take in any more strays.” He joked, moving them both so they were laying on the bed.

“Mm, you know how Jack is with Mum. He may have to be the last one.” She yawned, letting her head fall against his shoulder.

“Want me to go so you can go to sleep?”

“You’re not tired?”

“Not really. Tonight was a lot for me.”

Rose frowned a bit, running her hand gently across his cheek. “Well, I wouldn’t mind a cuddle from you, but if you want to go, I won’t make you stay.”

“Nope, if my girl wants a cuddle, that’s what she’s getting.” He leaned closer to her and nuzzled his face into her neck.

Giggling softly, Rose wrapped her arms around him, cuddling close. “I’m glad no one gets me like you do.” She told him quietly, letting her eyes close again.

“I’m glad that you support me the way you do, with everything.” He admitted, his voice low.

“Donna told me after everything with Jimmy that every relationship has its balances. One person brings something to the table and the other balances it out by bringing their own to the table. We both support each other and we have, even before we got together. You helped me with my family issues, I help you.”

“Do you think we’re getting too serious too soon?” He questioned quietly.

“If we were any other couple, I’d say yes. But, honestly, I don’t. We’ve known each other forever. We know how the other works. Sort of like a puzzle. You’ve finally found those two pieces that go together to start the puzzle.” She paused, opening her eyes, to see him staring at her. “Do you?”

“No, not at all.” His reply was quick, giving her a small smile.

Rose returned his smile, leaning her head close to his. “Try and close your eyes, maybe you’ll fall asleep.”

“Can I have a kiss goodnight?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking for that?” She teased him before pressing her lips to his, gently, letting their tongues tangle together as the Doctor deepened the kiss.

Kissing Rose felt like home. Wherever Rose was, home was. Breaking the kiss gently, he felt their noses brush together. “Sweet dreams, my Rose.”

Rose gave him a smile, letting their noses rub together. “Good night, my James.”

As the pair closed their eyes, sleep overtook Rose first. The Doctor held her close to him in his arms, as he too fell asleep.


	11. Happiness Comes in All Forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor finally admit to each other how long it's been that they've fancied each other. Donna, Jack, and Wilf come over for dinner and Tony finally meets Wilf.

The next few days flew by quickly. Monday and Tuesday were spent between the amusement park and the regular park where Pete and the Doctor tried to teach Tony how to play Frisbee. He had taken to it for the most part, except when he tossed the thing up into a tree, and the Doctor had to go and get it. They were still trying to figure out how he got it up into the tree. The amusement park was more fun though to all of them. Pete and Jackie took Tony to the section for kids his age while the Doctor and Rose went on some of the adult rides. They ended up finding a small arcade where the Doctor decided he wanted to win something for Rose.

_“James, I really don’t need anything.”_

_“But is there something you’d like to have?”_

_Biting her lip, Rose pointed to a stuffed lion that was probably as big as Tony. “You’ll need to win a lot of tickets though.”_

_“Doesn’t matter. If you want it, I’ll get it for you.”_

_That comment earned him a kiss, a rather long and passionate kiss._

_It didn’t take him that long to win all the tickets needed as he was able to pinpoint the best ways to win on the games. Twenty minutes after he started, he had enough tickets to get the lion. After they cashed in the tickets, the Doctor realized he had enough left for a couple of lower ticket items. While Rose had her back turned, he pointed to two bracelets, and got those too. Rose decided to carry the lion with her as they walked back over to meet her parents._

_“I did get something else while we were there.”_

_Rose looked over at him, a smile on her face. “Yeah? What did you get?”_

_He held up the bracelets, a small smile on his face. “Remember when we were younger and you made us those friendship bracelets?”_

_“I do, yeah.”_

_“I saw these and thought about them. Thought it would be nice if we had them again.”_

_Leaning over, she kissed his lips gently. “I like that idea.”_

_The Doctor let go of her hand and slipped the bracelet onto it before he did put his on. Taking her hand again, he kissed the back of it before they continued on their walk._

Wednesday was spent inside since the weather decided to mess their original plans up. Instead, they stayed in and played board games and took turns racing with Tony and his racecar. After dinner they decided to watch a movie together before Tony had to go to bed. Rose was also able to spend some one-on-one time with her dad on Wednesday, playing battleship with him. She felt more at ease with him and they were able to talk about things other than school and work.

Thursday morning found Jackie inside, making a plan for dinner that night. Donna was coming over with Jack and Wilf and wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Rose had woken up earlier than the Doctor that morning and decided to make biscuits for dessert. The same ones the Doctor’s mum used to make for him and Donna. Thankfully, Donna had the recipe and was willing to share it with Rose.

After breakfast, Rose had offered to help but her mum prepare the rest of the food, but her mum sent her outside with the Doctor. They decided to grab a couple of old blankets and lay under the tree in the backyard, reading. Tony and Pete were running around in the backyard, playing different yard games. Rose was laying on her stomach to read while the Doctor was laying on his back, his head leaning against her side.

“What time is Donna coming over?” Rose questioned, taking a break from her book.

“I think three. She wants to see you and I think Jack wanted to ask Pete something about a project.”

“Just don’t let Mum hear them talking shop. She’ll throw Jack out. Dad is on vacation.”

“Do I have to warn him?” He grumbled, putting his book down.

Giggling softly, Rose turned on her back so that the Doctor’s head was leaning against her stomach. Letting her fingers tangle in his hair, she massaged his scalp. “You were the one that told me he makes her happy. Give him a break. ‘Sides, you know Donna will bury him if he hurts her. She can hold her own.”

“Is that where you got it from?”

“Mum taught me. Suppose she taught Donna too.” She mused, a smile on her face. “Jack is your mate too.” She pointed out.

The Doctor closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

Rose moved her hand from his scalp, running her fingers down his cheek. “After all, he is the one that gave me the courage to agree to go out with you.”

The Doctor pouted when she stopped massaging his scalp. Sitting up a bit, he looked over at her. “How so?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders, giving him a small smile. “He told me I needed to give you a chance. It’s just, after Jimmy, I felt like I was damaged goods.”

“You’re not.”

“I know that now, it just took me awhile to get over that. But it wasn’t always just my past that kept me from being close to anyone, it also had to do with my feelings for you.”

“When did you realize you fancied me?” He asked softly, sitting up a bit so he could lean against the tree.

Moving her body, she lay her head in his lap, looking up at him. “It was after you had ended things with Joan. We were hanging out one night, watching something on television. It hadn’t been just us two for a while and we were stretched out on your couches, talking a bit. I realized that I needed to talk to my mates to get over what happened with Jimmy. I realized though that I saw myself with you, as more than mates. I didn’t say anything though because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just because you had been there for me after I left him.”

The Doctor ran his fingers through her hair, tugging on the strands a bit. “When did you realize it wasn’t?”

Rose gave a woeful smile. “Right before you started seeing Christina. I was going to tell you but then you said you were seeing her so I couldn’t. Hid my feelings away again.”

“I’m sorry.” He told her softly, tracing the lines on her face gently.

“It’s not your fault.” When his finger got to her lips, she pressed a gentle kiss to the digit. “What about you? When did you realize it?”

The Doctor chuckled, tapping her nose gently. “Same time I believe. I didn’t want to pressure you into anything so when Christina came along, I asked her out. Part of the reason why I was only with her for three months.”

“You ended things cause of me?” She asked, her eyes wide with regret.

“Hush.” He pressed his finger to her lips, a small smile on his face. “No, I didn’t. I wasn’t in to her as I thought. But then you accepted a date with Adam.”

She groaned, shaking her head. “Worst decision of my life.” She mumbled against his finger.

“I was going to say something after that, but chickened out. Then well, Reinette happened but here we are.” He moved his finger and went back to running his fingers through her hair.

“We got there in the end. That’s all that matters.”

“That we did. I may not let you go.”

Laughing softly, she sat up so she could face him. “If you do let me go, I may hurt you.”

Moving closer, he looked into her eyes, a playful smile on his face. “We can’t have that, now can we?”

Shaking her head, Rose leaned in and pressed her lips to his quickly. “No, we can’t.”

The Doctor pulled her back to him, kissing her again. Pulling back, he looked at her. “Just for the record, I never once thought of you as damaged goods. If Jimmy weren’t in prison right now, I’d go and kick his ass.”

“My hero.” She told him, giving him one more kiss. “Want another scalp massage?”

The Doctor’s eyes lit up and he nodded his head quickly. “From you? Yes.”

Rose moved so she was leaning against the tree. Brushing her pants off, she patted her lap for him. “So what made you decide to ask me out?”

The Doctor lay his head in her lap, looking up at her. “Donna and Jack actually. When they were helping me to move your stuff in.”

Running her fingers through his hair, she started to massage his scalp. “See, now you have to be nice to Jack. How did you talk go with him the other day?”

“Fine. He won’t hurt her.” He finally admitted, closing his eyes. “He’s apparently been in love with her since he met her when they were in secondary school.”

“See, I told you! Donna’s been the same with him.”

The Doctor groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. “I don’t need to hear this about my sister, ta.”

Giggling softly, Rose took his hand in her free one. “I’m sorry. She’s happy though, yeah?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I almost forgot to tell you. Mickey and Martha decided to get married next June.”

“Thought they were going to wait until after Martha finished medical school?”

“They changed their minds. They didn’t want to wait, can’t say I blame them.” Rose shrugged her shoulders a bit. “It won’t be anything big, neither of them wanted that. This way when she finishes she’ll be Doctor Smith.”

“Need a date to the wedding?”

“I thought I would go with the best man since I’m maid of honor.” She teased him, letting their fingers tangle together.

“Oi!” He moved his hand, keeping their joined hands together on his chest. He furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her. “Oh wait, right, that is me.”

“Who else would I go with?” She gave him a smile, shaking her head playfully at him.

“No one else, hopefully.”

“No one else.” She promised him.

Around two, Rose and the Doctor went back into the house. After Rose put the blankets away, she went to go see if her mum needed help.

“No, sweetheart. Everything is done. Where’s himself?”

“In the guest room, I suppose. Wanted to change his shirt.” Rose leaned against the counter, playing with her bracelet.

“Things going okay with you two?”

Rose nodded her head, looking at her mum. “Yeah, everything is perfect. Just waiting on the other shoe to drop.”

“Oh sweetheart. I don’t think there’s another shoe for you two.”

“No?” She questioned softly, looking down at the ground.

“No, I don’t. Let everything else go.”

“I’ll try, Mum.”

“Tony is excited to spend time with you and himself tomorrow night.”

Rose gave her mum a smile. “James is too. We both are. Might take him over to play mini golf, haven’t decided yet. See what he wants to do.”

“You know he’ll be happy with whatever. Speaking of, would you mind getting your Dad and him in from the backyard?”

“Course not.” Rose walked over to the back door and stood out on the porch. “Dad!”

Pete looked over and told Tony to go run over to his sister. Walking slowly behind him, Pete smiled, seeing Rose pick Tony up. Going over to them, he kissed his daughter’s forehead. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Mum just wanted you to know to come in soon. It’s getting near three. Tony should probably change too.” Rose looked at her little brother whose clothes were covered in grass stains.

“I’ll take him up.” Pete took Tony from Rose and walked into the house with him to get him cleaned up.

Rose walked into the house behind them and saw the Doctor sitting at the kitchen table. Giving him a smile, she sat down next to him. “I can’t wait to see Wilf.” She told him, leaning her chin on her hand.

Leaning back in his chair, he placed his arm over the back of her chair. “He’s looking forward to seeing you too. Said he would bring his telescope so we can look at the stars later.”

Rose’s eyes lit up. “Really? Jack is going to help him carry it in, yeah?”

“I asked him to, so he will.”

Not long later, the doorbell rang and Rose went to go answer it. Seeing that it was Donna, Jack, and Wilf, she smiled, hugging Donna quickly before letting everyone in. After getting a hug from Jack and a kiss on the cheek she turned to Wilf, a smile on her face. “Hi Wilf.” She leaned in and hugged the older man tightly.

“None of that Wilf stuff. It’s still Gramps to you.”

Rose giggled softly and looped her arm through his. “Sorry, Gramps. Was the drive over okay?”

“It was. Jack was kind enough to drive us.”

Rose led him into the living room where Jack and Donna were sitting with the Doctor. Sitting next to him on the couch, she felt the Doctor move to sit next to her after greeting his grandfather. “Does anyone want something to drink?” Rose offered, letting her hand rest on top of the Doctor’s.

Donna and Jack shook their heads while Wilf asked for some water. The Doctor offered to get it for him so Rose could talk some with Donna and Jack. When the Doctor stood up, Donna turned to Rose, a smile on her face. “Everything going well then?”

Rose blushed, ducking her head down. “Yeah, it is. He’s treating me well. How’s this one treating you?” Rose gestured over to Jack, who blushed.

“Very well. I couldn’t ask for better.”

Rose smiled at the pair before turning to Wilf. “James said you had been feeling poorly lately, are you feeling better?”

Wilf brushed her concern off, nodding his head. “I’m fine. Had a blasted cold and this one called her brother in a panic.” He gestured over to Donna.

“Gramps, you were sick. We needed to make sure it wasn’t pneumonia.”

Rose giggled softly, squeezing Wilf’s hand. “Well, I’m glad you’re doing better. I’ll make sure James calls you more to keep Donna happy.” She shot a discreet wink over to Donna.

“What am I doing?” The Doctor handed Wilf a bottle of water before sitting down next to Rose again, laying his arm over the back of the couch.

“Calling Gramps more often.”

“Oh, right, I can do that.”

A few minutes later, Tony came walking down the stairs. Seeing Donna and Jack, he ran over to Jack, crashing into his legs. Jack laughed and picked him up in his lap, letting him sit there. “Hey little T.”

“Jack!” Tony laughed, leaning back so he could wave to Donna. Sitting up he looked over at Wilf, eyeing him a bit. “Who that?” He questioned Jack, a slight frown on his face.

“Tony, don’t point, it’s rude.” Rose reminded her brother, shaking her head.

“Sorry Mister.”

Wilf chuckled, leaning over to Tony. “My name is Wilf. I’m James and Donna’s grandfather. You can call me Gramps.”

Tony’s eyes widened and a smile took over his face. “K!” He climbed off of Jack’s lap and climbed into his sister’s so he could sit closer to Wilf to talk to him.

The Doctor leaned closer to Rose and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she leaned back against him.

Donna nudged Jack so he could look over at them, a smile on her face. Leaning in, she whispered to her boyfriend. “They look happy.”

“They do. Guess we pushed them enough.” He put his arm around her so she could lean into his side.

Pete came down a few minutes later and shook hands with Jack and Wilf and hugged Donna in greeting. He walked into the kitchen to get his wife before walking back out to sit on one of the chairs.

Jackie came out and saw Tony was talking Wilf’s ear off. “Tony, don’t bother Mister Wilf.”

“He’s not Jackie, he’s just telling me about the racecar my grandson made him.”

“He’ll be on that for a while I’m afraid.” She sat down next to Donna on the couch after greeting both her and Jack.

“I don’t mind.”

The Doctor moved himself and Rose over so that Tony could sit on the couch next to Wilf. Donna and Jackie started chatting while Pete and Jack were talking about some project Jack was working on for Torchwood. Rose smiled to herself, leaning more into the Doctor’s side. This was what she had always wanted, a family like this. She was grateful that Jackie had always accepted the Doctor, Donna, and Jack into their home.

Rose had become closer to Jack after everything that had happened with Jimmy. He had come over to discuss something with Pete one day and asked her if she wanted to talk to someone about what happened. Some of the things that happened with Jimmy, she hadn’t been able to tell her mum, James, Donna, or Mickey. While she had hung out with Jack a few times, she hadn’t really known him. At least not like she does now. He helped her through a lot and she would forever be grateful to Jack.

The Doctor leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, murmuring. “Are you alright?”

Rose smiled softly, nodding her head as she looked at him. “Just lost in thought. Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” He assured her as he brushed his thumb over her cheek, looking into her eyes.

“Oi you two, none of that.”

They were broken out of their stare by Jackie. A faint blush appeared on Rose’s cheeks and she sat up a bit, mumbling. “Sorry, Mum.”

“Sorry Jackie.”

Jackie laughed, shaking her head. “You two are so gullible.”

“Leave ‘em be, Jacks.”

“Fine, fine.” She put her hands up in mock surrender before going back to talking to Donna.

Pete winked over at his daughter before going back to his conversation with Jack.

Wilf must have agreed to see Tony’s racecar because Rose watched as he ran up the stairs towards his room, mumbling some about getting it from his room.

Rose smiled over at Wilf, feeling the Doctor rubbing a hand up and down her back. “He loves meeting new people.”

“Oh I have a feeling he and I will be good friends then.”

Tony returned with his car and stood in front of Wilf. “Outside?” The boy questioned, a hopeful look on his face.

“Sure.”

Rose stood up and walked with Wilf and Tony to the backyard. She stood on the back porch as Tony and Wilf walked down to the grass and Tony started showing Wilf everything the car could do. Feeling two arms going around her waist, she felt the Doctor kiss her cheek. Leaning back against him she gave him a smile. “He seems good.”

“Yeah, he does. Donna said he’s been feeling better.”

“I’m glad. I know how much he means to you and Donna.”

The Doctor was quiet for a few moment, content on holding Rose close to him. “When Uni is over, I’m going to move in, help Donna more.”

Rose smiled, leaning her head against his. “I think Gramps would like having you close to him again.”

“I think so too. I might come up more during the year to spend time with him, help Donna.”

“If you want, I can come up too. Save you the boring trip by yourself.”

“I would like that.” He admitted quietly.

Turning around, she wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him. “Gramps is fine. He’s going to be seventy soon, it’s sort of to be expected that he might get sick more. The doctors haven’t found anything wrong and I don’t think they will.”

The Doctor let out a breath, nodding his head. “I know.” Hugging her tightly, he buried his face in her neck.

Pressing a kiss to his temple, Rose nuzzled her nose against his skin. “Will it make you feel better if I get changed for bed in front of you later?” She teased, her tongue poking out from behind her teeth.

“Oh yes, it would.” He picked his head up, a small smile on his face.

“You can go visit him more while we’re here. You don’t have to hang around with me.”

“I like hanging around with you.” He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course. Whenever you want.” She gave him a smile, puckering her lips up for a kiss.

Gladly kissing her, he bent down, pressing his lips to hers gently. Pulling back he looked at her, his eyes filled with mirth. “So were you serious about trying to cheer me up later?”

Rose laughed, pulling away from him. Skipping down the steps, she turned her head to look back at him, a coy smile playing on her lips. “You’ll find out tonight!” Going over to Tony, she scooped him up, tickling him before telling him to collect his car and go in the house. She watched Tony pick his car up and run over to the Doctor who walked into the house with him.

Wilf held his arm out for her so he could escort her into the house. “Shall we?”

Rose smiled and hooked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Thanks.”

As they started to walk, Wilf looked over at her. “Things are serious between you and my grandson?”

“Yes, I think so. He treats me very well.”

“He speaks very highly of you.”

Rose blushed, smiling softly. “He means everything to me.”

Wilf patted her hand gently. “And you, him.”

“We’re so young though.”

“I met my wife when I was around your age. I don’t think you’re too young to feel this way.”

“You don’t?”

“Not at all. When you know, you know. Doesn’t matter your age or how long you’ve been together.”

Rose smiled and hugged Wilf, kissing him on the cheek. “Thanks, Gramps.”

The Doctor came out and leaned against the door frame. “Oi, stop flirting with my girl.”

Wilf looked up at his grandson. “She’s too besotted with you to even blink at me.”

Rose blushed as the Doctor rocked back on his heels, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “So long as that’s settled. Jackie sent me to tell you two dinner is almost ready.”

Wilf walked up the stairs, shooting a wink to Rose.

Rose smiled at the Doctor, holding her hand out to him. “Want to sit next to me?”

Taking her hand in his, he laced their fingers together. “Sure. So are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Besotted with me?”

“Oh. Yes, I am.”

“Good thing too.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, Rose Tyler, I just happen to be besotted with you.”

Standing on her tip toes, she pressed her lips quickly to his.

“We brought in the telescope by the way, we’ll come out after it gets dark.”

“I can’t wait.” Tugging on his hand, she walked into the house with him.

After dinner, Rose and Donna helped Jackie clean up the dishes while the men and Tony sat in the dining room, discussing Pete’s plan on expanding Torchwood.

Hearing their topic, Rose laughed, shaking her head. “Dad is supposed to be on vacation, he can’t stop talking about it though, can he?”

“That’s how he gets sweetheart.”

“Jack is the same way.” Donna told Rose, a small smile on her face.

“How is that going then?”

“We’re good.” Donna leaned against the counter, a wistful smile on her face. “It’s only been a month, but we’re happy. He comes over after work or we go out. Gone to his place too. Did you know he can cook?”

“Yeah? Good on you two. I’m glad you’re happy. He’s been smitten with you for as long as I can remember.”

“Everything is going well for you and him?” Donna gestured over to her brother.

“Yeah, it is. He’s amazing.” Rose smiled at her friend. “Thanks for giving us the push.”

“Well, someone had to.”

Jackie walked over to Rose, handing her the container that had her biscuits in it. “Here, go put these out. I’ll bring tea and the cake Donna brought out.”

As Rose left, Donna turned to Jackie. “They’re really doing okay?”

“Yeah, they are. They haven’t argued since they got here so I think they’ve solved their issues.”

“I’m glad.”

Rose placed her container in front of the Doctor before leaning against his chair. She listed to her father talk about the office expansion he wanted to do while Jack was giving him ideas.

The Doctor smiled up at her, placing his arm around her waist.

Jackie and Donna came out of the kitchen and Rose sat down next to the Doctor, slipping her hand into his.

Looking over at her, he squeezed her hand gently before opening the container she had placed in front of him. His eyes lit up once he saw the contents. Glancing over at her, he picked her hand up again, giving it a small squeeze. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear. “Thank you.”

Shrugging her shoulders she wrinkled her nose playfully. “You’re welcome.”

“How did you get the recipe?”

“Donna found it and told me about it. I’ll make them again, if they came out right.”

Taking one out, he took a bite. Nodding his head, he stuffed the rest of the biscuit in his mouth. “’S good.”

Rose laughed softly, wiping the crumbs from his mouth. “I’m glad.”

After they finished dessert, everyone went into the living room, waiting for it to get darker outside. The Doctor and Rose sat cuddled up together on the floor, leaning back against the couch. Tony sat next to Wilf as Wilf read to him from one of Tony’s books.

The Doctor played with Rose’s hair as she lay her head against his shoulder. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he felt her take his free hand and play with his fingers.

“I can’t believe you ate almost all of them.” She whispered to him, trying to hold back a laugh.

“They were good. I can’t believe you made them.”

“I’m just happy they came out okay. I wasn’t sure if you would be happy or not.”

“Oh, very happy.”

Once it got dark out, the Doctor and Jack set Wilf’s telescope out in the backyard. Tony was excited about this, not only because Wilf said he would be able to see the stars but because he was allowed to stay up past bedtime. After everything was set up, Pete brought a chair out so Tony could see out of the telescope. The Doctor had started sitting with Wilf to watch the stars when he was Tony’s age. Ever since then, he loved the time he spent with Wilf watching the stars. He could map out most of the constellations and every time he learned a new one, he would tell Rose about it.

After Tony had his turn, Pete and Jackie took him inside to get him ready for bed. Rose went next with the Doctor pointing out the different stars she was looking at. She knew she would probably not be able to remember them all but was letting the Doctor teach her. After Rose was finished looking at the telescope, she stepped back so that Donna and Jack could have their turn. She smiled at Wilf, who was sitting on the chair Tony had been using. She felt the Doctor stand behind her and press a kiss to her cheek as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hi.”

“Hello. Enjoying yourself?”

Tilting her head back, she gave him a teasing smile. “Eh, I guess.”

The Doctor let out a laugh, moving his hands down her arms. “You guess?”

Moving from his arms, her eyes were filled with laughter. “Yup.”

“Oh you’re going to get it, Tyler.”

Rose giggled softly, running away from him and around the yard.

The Doctor just shook his head, a smile on his face. He let her run around a bit before he took off, running after her.

When Rose saw the Doctor coming after her, she laughed and hid behind the tree. Seeing that he was getting closer, she ran out from behind the tree, towards the other side of the yard.

Wilf watched as Rose and the Doctor chased each other around the yard, a twinkle in his eyes. He was grateful that both of his grandchildren had found happiness. He turned to look at Donna and Jack and watched as Donna pointed something out to Jack. He could see the same happiness on Jack and Donna’s faces that he had on his when he met his late wife.

A few minutes later, the Doctor caught Rose around the waist and lifted her off the ground. “Caught you!” He teased her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Rose laughed, feeling herself being picked up. “What do you want as your prize?”

“A kiss?”

“Done.”

The Doctor placed Rose back on the ground, brushing some of her hair from her face.

Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his gently. Pulling back, she smiled at him. “First prize worthy?”

The Doctor laughed, putting his arms around her. “Definitely.” He led her back over to the telescope and helped Jack to pack it up. Jack helped him carry it out to the car while Donna and Rose walked with Wilf into the house.

Rose said her goodbyes to Donna, Jack, and Wilf before heading upstairs to get ready for bed.

The Doctor walked them out to the car and said goodnight to them before he walked back into the house, saying goodnight to Pete and Jackie. After he changed for bed, he went over to Rose’s room and knocked softly on the door.

Rose opened her door, a smile on her face. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“Tony asked Mum if he could see Gramps again. Maybe we could bring him over there tomorrow. It’ll let Donna and Jack go out too.”

“I think he would like that. I’ll call in the morning.”

Rose walked closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and leaned her forehead against his. “We both should get some sleep.”

The Doctor nodded his head, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Thanks for tonight.”

“I had fun. Always do with you. Do you want to come in?”

“Better not. I’ll see you in the morning though.” He bent down and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

Kissing him back, she smiled against his lips. Breaking the kiss a few minutes later, she looked up at him. “If you need me, just wake me up.”

He gave her a soft smile, running his thumb over her cheek. “Night beautiful. Sweet dreams.” With one more kiss he left her doorway and headed into the guestroom.

With a smile, Rose closed her bedroom door before turning off the light. Laying down in her bed, she snuggled under the blankets, wishing the Doctor were in her room with her.

As the Doctor settled down in his bed, he let out a sigh, wishing he had stayed in Rose’s room. He lasted twenty minutes before quietly sneaking out of his room and into hers. Climbing under the blankets, he wrapped his arms around her before sleep came over them both.


	12. When You Need Me Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets a little perspective from her dad about relationships while the Doctor spends some time with Tony. Later, Rose and the Doctor take Tony over to visit Wilf for the afternoon while Pete and Jackie go out.

When Rose woke the next morning, she felt the Doctor’s arms wrapped around her waist. The last she remembered, the Doctor had gone to sleep in the guest room. With a smile, she turned around in his arms, running her fingers down his cheek gently. Seeing him stir a bit, she giggled softly. Slipping her fingers into his hair, she massaged his scalp gently.

With a slight groan, the Doctor pulled Rose closer to him, burrowing his face into her neck.

Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him. “James?”

“Hm?”

“Are you awake?”

“No.” He mumbled, sleepily.

“So no early morning snogging session then?”

“Nope.”

With a giggle, Rose moved carefully out of his arms, and out of the bed. Making sure he was still covered, she pressed a kiss to the top of his head before heading into the bathroom to take a shower.

When the Doctor heard the door closed, it finally clicked to him what she asked him. With a pout, he sat up, rubbing a hand over his face. “Not fair, Rose!” He called out to her, hearing her laughter.

After Rose was done with her shower and getting dressed, she walked into her room to see the Doctor still in her bed. Going over, she sat down next to him, running her hand across his cheek. “I’m sorry. Want me to lay with you for a bit?”

With a nod, he lifted the blanket back for her so she could slip in. “Is the snogging still on the table?” He asked with a hopeful smile.

Laughing softly, she curled up against him, feeling the blanket covering them both. “Mm, possibly. Thought maybe you didn’t want to kiss me anymore.”

“Oh, I have a feeling that’s something I will always want to do.” Wrapping his arms around her, he turned on his back, holding her close.

Rose lay her head against his chest, closing her eyes. “We will have to get up soon.”

“I’m glad we’re heading back a day early. I just want one day with you, just the two of us.”

Rose lifted her head up, pressing her lips to his gently. “We haven’t really been alone for that long since we got together. I miss it.”

The Doctor wrapped his arms around and pulled her against him so she was half laying on him. “I miss it too. One more week.”

“Maybe before the module starts we can go somewhere, just us.”

Running his fingers through her hair, he gave her a smile. “Anywhere you want to go, we can go.”

“I’d rather you pick.”

“I can do that.” Leaning over, he kissed her softly. “Ready to get up?”

Shaking her head she pressed her lips to his once more. “Not really, but I guess we should.”

“We’ll have tomorrow morning to ourselves, don’t forget.” He gave her a smile, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

“I know.” Getting off the bed she stood up and smoothed out her shirt. “Do you want me to wait for you before I go downstairs?”

“Ta. I won’t take long.” Moving off the bed, he cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. “You’re wonderful.” With a gentle kiss to her lips he left the room to go get ready for the day.

Rose blushed, watching him walk away. After making her bed, she sat down on the bed to put her sneakers on and wait for him to finish getting ready.

Before he took a shower, he called Wilf to see if they could bring Tony by in the afternoon. Once their plans were set, the Doctor took a shower and got dressed for the day. Going back to Rose’s room he opened the door to see her sitting on the bed. “Ready?”

Standing up, she walked over to him, slipping her hand into his. “Yeah.”

Lacing their fingers together, he walked out of the room with her. “I called Gramps, he said we can come over.”

“Good. I’ll tell Tony a bit later else he’ll be asking every five minutes if we’re leaving.” Heading down the stairs, the pair walked into the kitchen, Rose swinging their hands together.

Pete and Jackie sat at the table with Tony having just finished breakfast. “Morning you two.”

“Morning.” They both replied before Rose got out the cereal for their breakfast. Gesturing for the Doctor to sit, Rose fixed two bowls before walking them over to the table, and sitting next to him.

While Jackie cleaned up the table, Pete was reading his newspaper. Tony looked over at his sister as he drew on some paper. “Mummy said you and Doktah are sitting with me tonight.”

Rose smiled at her brother, nodding her head. “Yeah, we are. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah!”

Pete looked over at his daughter. “What plans do you have?”

“Not sure what we’re doing this morning. Figured we’d take Tony out later. What time are you and Mum leaving?”

“Around five. We have tickets for half seven at the theatre.”

“I’ll make sure the party is over before ten.” She teased her father, giving him a grin.

“So long as Tony is in bed before eight.”

“But Daddy, I wanna stay with Rose and Doktah!”

Rose and Pete laughed softly as the Doctor ruffled Tony’s hair. “You’ll be up with us all afternoon. We’ll make sure you have fun.”

Jackie walked back into the room, looking at her son. “Besides, you need to get rest. You have a birthday party tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah!”

After Rose and the Doctor finished breakfast the Doctor offered to go outside with Tony to play while Jackie made some phone calls. Once they were outside, Rose washed their dishes out before sitting next to her father at the kitchen table.

“Dad?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” He placed his paper down to look at her.

“How did you know that Mum was the one?”

“Do you think James is?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders, drawing a line in the table with her finger. “It’s just, Wilf said that when you know, you know. That him and James’ grandmother met when they were our age.”

“You two have only been together for a month.” Pete sighed softly, looking at her. He hadn’t experience much with her dating life. After Jimmy happened, he knew she hadn’t seen anyone steady enough that she wanted to bring home. While he was happy she was seeing the Doctor, he was a bit concerned for her happiness.

“I know. I’m not saying we’re getting married or anything. I just want to know.”

Pete smiled at his daughter, leaning forward a bit. “I don’t know if I know exactly when it happened. We were out somewhere and I just looked at her and I knew I didn’t want to be without her.”

Rose smiled softly, turning her head a bit. “When did you know you loved her?”

Pete laughed, shaking his head. “Not long after we started dating. She was running late for a party we were going to and I went over to your grandparents’ house to pick her up. She was running around and I stopped her, told her we could stay in. We stayed in and that night, I told her I loved her.”

Rose leaned her head against her father’s shoulder, a small smile on her lips.

“Shouldn’t you ask your mother all of this?” His tone was a bit skeptical. Usually he wasn’t the one Rose came to for advice, that was Jackie. At least this meant she trusted him enough to ask.

Giggling softly, Rose picked her head up. “I asked Mum years ago. I needed your perspective.”

“Did it help?”

“Yeah, a bit.”

“You could always talk to him you know.”

“I might. I just don’t want to scare him off.”

“I don’t think you’ll have that problem.”

Jackie walked back into the kitchen, seeing them huddled at the kitchen table. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, Mum we’re fine. I was just asking Dad his opinion on something.”

“You usually ask me if you need advice.”

Rose shared a smile with her father before turning back to her mother. “I needed my Dad for this one.”

Jackie gave her husband a soft smile before nodding her head. “As long as he was helpful.”

“He was.”

Rose and Pete moved to the living room to see if there was anything on television to watch as they chatted about random things. Tony came running into the house twenty minutes later, carrying his car, going over to his father. “I win!”

The Doctor came running in behind him, shaking his head. “I told you to wait for me, Tony.”

Pete looked at his son, picking him up so he sat on his lap. “Why didn’t you wait for the Doctor?”

“I wanted to race.”

“You shouldn’t run if someone tells you not to.”

“It was only to here.”

“Doesn’t matter. Apologize to the Doctor.”

Tony frowned, looking at him. “Sorry Doktah.”

He smiled a bit, ruffling his hair. “It’s okay Tony.”

Pete placed his son down on the ground. “Go put your car and Rose’s away.”

The Doctor handed Tony Rose’s car and watched as he walked upstairs to put the stuff away. Sitting next to Rose, he placed his arm over the back of the couch.

“Did he wear you out?” She turned to look at the Doctor, leaning against his side a bit.

“Nope. We had fun.” The Doctor looked at his watch, seeing that it was only eleven. “Do you want to head out at two? This way we can be back by seven.”

“Sure, that sounds good.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Tony asked to see Wilf again, so we’re going to take him over there. We haven’t told him yet.”

Tony walked down the stairs and over to where his father was sitting. He climbed up into his lap and sat down, looking at his sister.

“Rose?”

“Yes, T-Man?”

“Is Doktah mad at me?”

“’Course not, sweetheart. Why don’t you come over here and I’ll give you cuddles.”

Pete helped Tony down and watched as he walked over to his sister. Rose scooped him up and let him sit on her lap.

“Do you want to know where we’re going later?” The Doctor asked Tony, watching him as he lay against his sister.

“Yes please.”

“Well, I know you told your mum you wanted to see Gramps again, so we’re going to go over to his house later.”

“Do we gets to use the telly thing?”

“The telescope? Yes, I think if we ask, Gramps will let us use it. But we’ll need to wait for it to get dark out.”

“Cool!”

Rose wrapped her arms around Tony, letting him cuddle against her. She felt the Doctor brush a kiss against the top of her head. Tony stayed with Rose for a few more minutes before he went off to play with his toys. Turning a bit, Rose moved closer to the Doctor, laying her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Calling Gramps. Being here with me. Everything.”

“No place else I’d rather be.” He assured her, hugging her tightly against his side.

­­Around two, Rose and the Doctor set off with Tony. It took them a bit of time to assure him that his parents would be back later tonight and no, he couldn’t wait up for them. Once they got to Wilf’s Rose let Tony out of his booster seat and let him run up to the house. Donna and Jack had decided to go out that afternoon, so Donna wouldn’t be at the house. The Doctor took Rose’s hand and walked up to the door with her before letting them in. “Gramps?”

Wilf came out of the kitchen to see them standing in the hall. “Come in. I just put the kettle on.”

Letting Tony run ahead, the Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose’s waist, kissing the top of her head. “Everything alright? You were quiet in the car.”

Rose gave him a small smile, nodding her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. A bit tired is all.”

“Do you want to go lay down? You can use the room I usually stay in. Gramps won’t mind.”

“No, I’ll be fine. Let’s go see what Gramps is up to.”

“Let me know if you change your mind, yeah?”

“I will.” She leaned up and pressed her lips to his gently.

Kissing her back, he led them into the kitchen where Tony and Wilf were sitting. As they sat around the table drinking tea, milk for Tony, Wilf was telling Tony stories about his time in the war, much like he had down with the Doctor when he was younger. Rose was leaning against the Doctor, a smile on her face as she listed to Wilf speak. She had been quite young when Jackie’s father had passed away. Not having met any of her other grandparents, Rose was grateful to have Wilf in her life. She was always so interested in the stories he told them.

After dinner, later that afternoon, Tony was sitting with Wilf at the kitchen table, drawing him a picture with the crayons Rose had brought for him. “Gamps?”

“Yes, Tony?”

“Can we see the telly scope thing again?” He looked up to his sister, his eyes wide. “Did I gets it that time?”

Rose smiled softly, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Close enough.”

Wilf chuckled, looking outside. “It’s a bit early to get it out. How about you draw another picture and maybe it’ll be darker out when you’re done.”

“Okay!”

Rose got up from the table and started to help the Doctor wash the dishes. “Remember when that’s all you wanted to do?”

The Doctor chuckled, handing her a dish to dry. “Yeah, I do. Sometimes I think I still do that.”

“Does Gramps know what you decided?” She kept her voice low, just in case he didn’t.

The Doctor shook his head. “No, he doesn’t. I want to talk to Donna first.”

When the last dish was dry, Rose wiped her hands on a towel before turning to look at him. “I’ll support you no matter what you decide. I think he would like you to be closer to him again.”

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her into his chest. “Sometimes I feel like I’m going to wake up and this will all be a dream.”

Giggling softly, she wrapped her arms around him, looking up at him. “I told you, you’re stuck with me.”

“Not a bad life.”

“Better with two?” She gave him a grin, poking her tongue out from behind her teeth.

“Better with _you._ ”

“Are they gonna kiss?” Tony asked Gramps, pulling a face.

Wilf laughed, shaking his head. “If you color, you won’t see it.”

Rose laughed, hearing Wilf’s comment. “Don’t worry Tony, I won’t kiss James in front of you.” Pressing a kiss to the Doctor’s cheek she pulled him to sit at the table with her, keeping his hand in hers.

Once it got a bit darker, Rose looked at her watch. “Alright Tony, if Gramps says you can, it’s dark enough to use the telescope. But then after that, we need to get you home. It’s almost time for bed.”

“No fair!” Tony pouted, finishing off his drawing, which he handed to Wilf.

Tony had drawn what appeared to be a telescope, himself, and Wilf. “I’ll have to hang this up before we go outside.” Wilf hung the drawing up on the fridge before looking at Tony again. “If you’re ready, we can go in the backyard.”

The Doctor watched as Tony and Wilf walked out the backdoor to get into the yard. “Do you want to go outside too?” He asked Rose, as he stood up, keeping hold of her hand.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She stood up as well, giving him a smile. As they walked out, Rose leaned her head against the Doctor’s shoulder.

While Tony was looking at the stars, Wilf was pointing out to him all the different ones. Rose was leaning against the Doctor, her back to his chest while his arms were around her waist.

“A lot of changes are coming in the next year.” She told him quietly.

“Most of them are good.” Pressing a kiss to her temple, he tilted his head to look at her.

“I’m going to miss days like this.”

“We can still have them. It’ll just be after work, or when we have off.”

“Mm, yeah, that’s true.”

“We can plan days off and vacations together.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. I’ll get you one of those planners for a graduation gift and we’ll plan them.”

Rose giggled softly, shaking her head at his antics. “I want a really pretty one. You’ll need one too.”

“His and hers planners.” He made a face, shaking his head. “No, ta.”

Rose laughed, turning her head to kiss him. “Thank you.”

He kissed her back, a smile on his face.

After Tony was done with the telescope, the Doctor helped Wilf to bring it back into the house. With a promise to come see him before they left, the Doctor drove them to the house. Tony fell asleep on the drive back while Rose held his free hand in hers the whole trip. Once the Doctor pulled up into the driveway, Rose picked Tony up carefully out of the car so should could carry him up.

“Do you want me to take him?”

“No, I have him. I’ll meet you downstairs when I’m done getting him into bed?”

“Sounds like a plan.” After making sure Rose was okay, he went up to the guest room to change into his pajamas.

Rose carried Tony up to his room and got him changed for bed. He only stirred once but Rose was able to get him back to sleep. She went into her room and changed into her pajamas, before heading downstairs. Seeing that the Doctor was laying on the couch, Rose grabbed a blanket and climbed onto the couch so she was lying next to him.

Taking the blanket, the Doctor covered them both before wrapping his arms around Rose. “Comfortable?”

“Yeah, I am. Are you? Am I squishing you?”

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he smiled. “No, you’re not. You’re fine.” Grabbing the remote, he turned on a random movie, the volume set to low. “He seemed better today.”

“Well, he did say he was getting over his cold. I think it also helped that he saw you.”

“When you were showing Tony around the house, he told me something.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“That he sees the same look on my face that he had when he met my Gran. Said you remind him of her, actually.”

“Did he say how so?”

“My Gran was a strong minded woman. Before she and Gramps married she was very independent. Even after they got married, she still was. Kept him in line too.”

Rose giggled softly, nuzzling her nose against his cheek. “Did they dance around each other like we did?”

“Oi! I was just very reserved.”

Laughing softly, she wrapped her arms around him, moving closer to him. “If we’re half the couple your grandparents were, I think we’re going to do well together.” Rose smiled softly, letting her eyes close. “I know he misses her.”

The Doctor ran his hand up and down her arm gently. “He does. Tonight was the first night in a while that he brought her up.”

“That’s good then, yeah?”

“Very good.” The Doctor turned his head to watch the movie for a bit, keeping his arm around Rose, holding her close to him.

“James, can I tell you something?” She opened her eyes again, letting out a content sigh.

“Of course.”

“Jimmy and I, we never slept together.” Rose bit her lip gently, resting her hand on his chest. “I want to wait.”

The Doctor pressed a kiss to her forehead, rubbing her back gently. “I would never rush you into anything, you know that, right?”

Nodding her head, she let out a breath. “I know. I just wanted to be honest with you.”

“We can wait. However long you want to. Even if it never happens.”

Letting her eyes close again she felt his arms tighten around her again. She knew he had a past and it didn’t bother her. She just hoped she would be enough for him. “You don’t mind?”

“No.” His reply was quick as he ran his fingers gently through her hair. “Though, I am glad he never hurt you in that way.”

“He was always too drunk or high. Whenever he was at the flat, he was usually passed out. I was able to avoid him the other times. I was only there a few months.”

“I really wish I was there for you more.”

Moving her arm, she gave him a side hug, resting her head against his neck. “You were. After, when I needed you most.”

“I’m never leaving you like that again.” He promised her. “I’m going to protect you for the rest of my life.”

“That’s a hefty promise.” She told him, her voice was quiet. During her time with Jimmy, she had tried to talk to him as often as she could, but Jimmy was constantly taking her phone and forbidding her from talking to her friends. At the time, she hadn’t thought it was a bad idea to run away and live with him. But after, she knew it had been and she regretted it. The pain she put her parents through and her friends was always in the back of her mind.

“I mean it, Rose.” When she had come home from being with Jimmy, he was over at her flat as often as he could be. He knew part of the reason she had come home was because Jimmy had been arrested. He also knew she missed her parents, as much as she wanted to be against them. Jackie had been glad when Rose walked in that day. When Mickey had found out, he immediately called the Doctor and let him know. Somehow, the Doctor had gotten over there before Mickey had.

“I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”

The Doctor smiled softly, holding her close again. Running his fingers up and down her arm, he watched as she relaxed against him.

Snuggling against the Doctor, it didn’t take Rose long to fall asleep. Hopefully when he wanted to go to bed, he would wake her.

The Doctor watched the movie for twenty minutes before getting bored with it. He turned the television off and was going to suggest to Rose that they go to bed when he realized she had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he made sure she was warm enough before closing his eyes. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep.

When Jackie and Pete got home sometime after eleven, that’s where they found them. Not wanting to wake them, the pair walked quietly upstairs, both had smiles on their faces, knowing their daughter was happy. As Jackie got to the top of the stairs, she paused and looked down at them. It had been a long time since the last time Rose was this happy. While she knew a lot had to do with the changes that happened in their lives, she also knew Jimmy had destroyed her happiness. She was glad that Rose had the Doctor to bring that back to her.

 


	13. Angel Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor spend a quiet day together and talk about their futures.

When the Doctor woke up the next morning, he found they were both on the couch. Blinking a bit, he noticed it was still dark out, which meant it was early in the morning. Not really wanting to wake Rose, he gently moved off of the couch to stand before picking her up in his arms. Walking up the stairs, he went into the guestroom and laid her down on the bed. He checked the time and saw it was only five. They could sleep for a few more hours. Crawling into the bed next to her, he covered them both with the blankets before wrapping his arms around her as he fell back to sleep.

Rose woke up a few hours, feeling the Doctor running his hand up and down her arm. With a sleepy sigh, she curled closer to him, letting her head settle against his chest.

Feeling her move, the Doctor wrapped his other arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Mornings like this were what he would always enjoy. Running his fingers up and down her arm, he started to draw random patterns.

“James?” Rose mumbled, still half asleep.

“Yes?”

“Is something on your mind?”

He realized what he was doing and stilled his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just thinking about you.”

Rose stretched a bit before moving so she was lying next to him, her head on his pillow. “What about me?”

Turning on his side, he looked at her. Her hair was all over the place, much like his was he assumed, yet she never looked more beautiful to him. “Nothing bad. I just like mornings like this. Where we don’t have to get up right away and I get to hold you in my arms.”

Giving him a soft smile, she ran her fingers over his cheek. “I like them too. But you didn’t have to wake me.”

“I’m sorry.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers gently. “You can go back to sleep if you want.”

Rose snuggled closer to him, letting her arm wrap around his torso. “No, it’s okay. I’d rather not waste our morning by sleeping in. Besides, we have one more week here then we’ll have a whole day to ourselves.”

The Doctor smiled at her, leaning his forehead against hers. “I can think of something we can do that won’t waste the morning.”

They spent the next hour trading kisses and quiet words between them. It was nice, not having to rush around to get ready to go somewhere. With one final kiss, the pair separated. Rose leaned her forehead against his, his hand in hers as she played with his fingers.

“James?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just, things won’t change when we go back home, will they?”

“We won’t let them.” He promised her, leaning over so he could kiss her. “Things won’t be like before. You won’t be working crazy hours. We’ll do what we said we were going to do before. Have at least one date night a week and we’ll make sure to have dinner together every day at least until the module starts. We won’t know when our classes are, but we should be able to do at least that.”

She gave him a bright smile, letting their fingers tangle together. “Maybe we’ll luck out and need to be on campus at the same times.”

“See! There’s the spirit. Let’s get up now. I know you like heading to the market when it first opens.”

Rose sat up in bed and stretched her arms up, giving him a smile. “Okay. I’ll meet you downstairs?”

The Doctor nodded his head, returning her smile. “Don’t take too long.”

“Never do.” She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before climbing out of the bed and heading into her own room.

The Doctor watched her leave the room, his smile never leaving his face.

After Rose finished her shower, she went downstairs to see if her parents were up. Not seeing them, she walked up to her father’s home office to see if he was home. She knocked gently on the door.

“Come in.”

Rose opened the door, seeing her father sitting behind his desk, working on some paperwork. “I think I need to explain how exactly a vacation works.”

“Funny.” Pete remarked, dryly, a smile on his face. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything is fine. Did Mum go out?”

“She took Tony to get a haircut and to get a present for the birthday party. What are your plans for the day?”

“James and I are going over to the street market. Will you be fine by yourself?”

“I’ll probably be in most of the day finishing this paperwork. Should be done by this afternoon.”

Smiling softly, she nodded her head. “Can we bring you back anything?”

“I’m fine. You two have fun though.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Leaving his office, she closed the door behind her and walked downstairs to see the Doctor making them both some toast and tea in the kitchen. Walking over to him, she kissed his cheek.

“Pete upstairs?”

“Yeah. He’s finishing up some paperwork. Mum took Tony out.”

Once their toast was ready, they ate quickly before cleaning up their mess. Grabbing her bag, Rose walked out with the Doctor and got into his car. He drove them over to the markets and managed to find a good parking space. Getting out, he went around and opened her door for her.

“Ta.” She smiled at him as she got out. “Which way do you want to head first?”

“Let’s just start here and work our way around.” He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

“Works for me.” She replied, before they started to walk around. She didn’t have anything in particular she was looking for, but it was always nice to browse.

“I wonder if the electronics guy is here.” The Doctor mumbled as he looked at the different stalls.

“If he is, we’ll find him.”

“Are you looking for anything?”

“Nothing really. I’d like to get my Dad something, but I’m not sure what.”

“Things are better for you two?”

“Much better. While you had Tony outside yesterday, we had time to talk, just us. It was nice.”

“I’m glad. Still have time before Uni starts again to come up and visit.”

“I know. It’s just, I like being away too. Plus, Dad is always working during the week, only time he can relax is on the weekends.”

“So? That shouldn’t stop you from visiting. He’d probably be happy to know you’d be there on the weekend to visit.” He stopped over at a stall that had all different kinds of CDs, trying to see if he could find anything.

“Sometimes I also don’t feel like it’s my home, you know?” She quietly admitted, looking through the CDs.

“Because you haven’t really lived there?”

“Yeah, sort of. Mum and Dad made that a home with Tony. I’ve never really lived there. I guess if I try more, it could feel like home.”

“What will you do when Uni is over?”

“I’m not sure. I still have another year to decide. I don’t think I’ll want to stay there though.”

The Doctor thanked the stall operator and they walked away, headed down the path again. Picking her hand up once again, he laced their fingers together, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “In a year, we’ll figure it out together.”

Rose gave him a smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek in gratitude. As they walked, Rose found a stall that had handmade desk accessories. Pete didn’t have anything for his desk at home and Rose thought it would be a good idea to get him something. Once she picked out a paper organizer, she looked to see if there was anything else that interested her. The Doctor had gone to the other side and was looking at a lamp. Walking over to him, she lay her head against his shoulder. “That’s an interesting lamp.”

It was shaped to look like a cherry blossom tree and the different blossoms were lights. “Do you think it would look nice in the living room? We only have the overhead lights, thought this would be nice.”

“I think it would. Do you want to get it?”

“Yeah, I do. Do you want to get the other one? This way we can set one by each couch.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

The Doctor picked up both lamps and walked with Rose over to pay for the stuff.

Rose insisted on paying for the lamps, using the excuse that she hadn’t brought much to the flat and wanted to add to it. While the Doctor didn’t want her to, he knew he wouldn’t win an argument with her. After thanking the stall operator, they started on their walk again. Rose holding the present she got for her father and one of the lamps while the Doctor had the other one. He still wanted to be able to hold her hand as they walked.

After they had been walking for nearly two hours, stopping in most of the stalls, the Doctor spotted a stall he wanted to go in. They were selling jewelry and he wanted to get something special for Rose.

“But I don’t need anything.” She insisted, shaking her head slightly.

“Tough. I want to get you something. Please?” He pouted slightly, moving in closer to her.

Rose’s gaze softened as she nodded her head. “Fine. I’ll go look at the next stall while you look.”

The Doctor kissed her softly, his free hand resting on her hip.

Kissing him back, she felt him moving her closer to him. Breaking the kiss slowly she leaned her forehead against his. “Come find me when you’re done.”

“I will.”

Rose walked over to the next stall which had all different kinds of books. Had the Doctor not been with her, she could probably get lost in this stall all day. She had only been in the stall for twenty minutes before the Doctor came back over to her. “All set then?”

“Yup.” Leaning down, he kissed her gently, winding his free arm around her waist.

Smiling against his lips, Rose kissed him back for a few minutes. Slowly breaking the kiss, she gave him a grin. “Ready to go find the electronics stall?”

“Yes. See anything here you wanted?”

“Too many.” She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m fine though.”

Taking her hand in once more, they headed down the road to see if they could find the stall. It took them ten minutes, but they managed to find it. The Doctor managed to find several items he could use. He hadn’t told Rose what he was working on now, he was waiting until it was complete. After haggling with the guy, the Doctor walked away with a box full of different parts he needed.

Rose took hold of the other lamp as they walked since the Doctor needed both hands to carry the box. Since neither of them needed anything else, they decided to head back to the car. Once they found it, the Doctor placed their items in the trunk, closing the door. “Do you want to stop for lunch?”

“Can we? I’m starved.”

Leaning against the car, he pulled a small box from his pocket, handing it to Rose. “Before we go though, I want you to open this.”

Rose gave him a shy smile, taking the box from him. “You really didn’t need to get me anything.”

“Hush. Just open it, yeah?” The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. “Please?”

“’Course.” Opening the box, Rose smiled softly, seeing a necklace laying there with an angel wings pendant. Looking up at him, she gave him a slightly confused look.

“You’re always looking out for me, just like I look out for you. Think of this as me looking out for you whenever I can’t be there.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him a hug. “It’s beautiful. Thank you. Will you put it on me?” While they had been dating for a little over a month, the Doctor had been romantic, but never at this level. She was always surprised by his gestures, no matter what they were.

Hugging her back, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder through her shirt. “Of course.” Taking the box from her, he took the chain out and unclasped it. After Rose pulled her hair up, he placed the necklace around her, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck, he secured it around her neck. With one more kiss to her neck, he took her hand in his and spun her around so he could see. “Just as beautiful as you are.”

Giggling softly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, moving to stand in between his legs. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“We both must have done something to deserve each other.” Leaning in, he kissed her gently, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Rose kissed him back, pressing her body close to his. Reluctantly, Rose’s stomach grumbled a few minutes later, interrupting their kiss. Blushing, she looked down, smoothing her shirt down. “Sorry.”

Laughing softly, he shook his head. “Don’t apologize. We should get something to eat. What would you like?”

“Whatever you’re in the mood for.”

“Can we get chips?” He questioned, hopefully.

Smiling at him, she nodded her head. Moving from in front of him, Rose got into the car, running her fingers over her pendant.

The Doctor got into the car as well, starting it up. After checking to make sure no other cars were coming, he pulled out of the parking spot. He glanced over at her, seeing that she was holding the pendant. “Do you like it?”

Realizing what she was doing, she let it lay flat against her skin. “Yes, I do. I love it. Thank you.”

The Doctor smiled at her, reaching over for her free hand. A few minutes later, the Doctor pulled up to the chippy they usually go to when they’re in London. After they walked in, he ordered two servings of chips for them to share and some drinks. As they sat down to eat, the Doctor kept her free hand in his, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

“Are you alright?” Rose asked him softly, watching him. “You haven’t really wanted to let go of my hand most of the day.”

“Does it bother you?” He questioned softly, not realizing he had been doing that.

“No, not at all. I just want to make sure there’s nothing on your mind.”

“I’m just happy we’re out together is all. I honestly didn’t realize I was doing it.”

“I don’t mind. I’m enjoying it.”

Having finished all his chips, he reached over and stole one of hers, popping it into his mouth. “Anything else you want to do while we’re out?”

“Not really. I wouldn’t mind going back to the house and just relaxing. Is there something you wanted to do?”

The Doctor shook his head. “No.”

“You’re just excited to go through the parts, aren’t you?”

With a slight blush, the Doctor gave her a sheepish smile. “A bit, yes.”

Laughing softly, she let the Doctor finish her chips since he kept stealing them. “We can go back to the house and you can sort through everything. Best to do that upstairs though, Mum will kill you if you muck up her carpets.”

“Can’t have that.” Once he was done, he wiped his hands before they cleaned up their table. After they got into the car, the Doctor drove them over to the house. Parking the car, they both got out and Rose helped him carry the stuff into the house. They didn’t want to leave anything in the car so the heat didn’t get to it.

Leaving the Doctor to go into the guest room, Rose knocked on the door to her father’s office, holding his present in her free hand, behind her back.

Going in, Rose gave her dad a smile. “Hi.”

“Hello, poppet. Did you two have fun?”

“Yeah, we did. I got you something though.”

“What is it?”

Rose moved the gift from behind her back and placed it on his desk. “We found it at the market. I know you don’t have one here and thought you would like it.”

“I do, it’s great.” He made room for it and started to organize his papers into it. “I see you also got a present.”

“The necklace? Oh, yeah. James got that for me.”

“It really is serious then?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Just as long as he treats you well.”

Giggling softly, she went around the desk to give her dad a hug. “James told me you gave him the talk already. He’s a great man, dad. Comes in at a close second to you.” She teased him, a small smile on her lips.

“Well, as long as he’s second.” Hugging her back, he let out a sigh. “I really missed out on a lot with you.”

“There’s a lot that hasn’t happened yet, you’ll be there for those things. And there’s a lot you did get me through.”

Pete nodded his head, leaning back in his chair. “Just don’t let everything happen at once, okay?”

Giving him a smile, she nodded her head. “Deal. So how was the play last night?”

“It was good. We had fun. Thanks again for watching Tony.”

“It was no problem. He had a lot of fun at Wilf’s.”

“Yes, he told me and your mother about it this morning.”

“He’ll probably want to go back soon.”

“Probably.” Pete paused, looking over at her. “Speaking of, your mother and I walked into an interesting site last night.”

Knowing he was speaking about her and the Doctor falling asleep on the couch, she felt her cheeks heat up. “We were watching a movie. Nothing happened, I swear.”

“I was just going to say that you both looked happy.”

“Oh. Yeah, we are. We talked a bit last night about what we want to do after we’re done with Uni. James is going to talk to Donna about him moving in with Wilf to help. He doesn’t want it all on her. Not that Wilf needs a lot of help, but still. He wanted to know what I thought.”

“What do you think about that?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders a bit. “Wilf’s always been a big part of his life. I told him I would support him no matter what. We still have a year. We’ll figure it out together.”

“Where do you think you’ll live?”

“I was hoping to be here for a few months until I found something if you and Mum wouldn’t mind. I haven’t really decided.”

“We wouldn’t mind, Rose. This is your home.”

“I’m not here that often though. It doesn’t always feel like home.” She admitted quietly. “I promised myself to give it some more time and it’ll probably feel like home.”

“I didn’t realize you felt like that. We always assumed that you felt like this was your home.”

“I was only here a few months before I left for school and I’ve been staying in my flat except for holidays and the two weeks I come up in the summer.” She reminded him.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It took me almost the entire first year I was sharing a flat with Martha before I called it home. It’s starting to feel like a bit like home though here.” She promised him.

Pete smiled at that, nodding his head. “I’m glad.”

“When I do come back next year, could I maybe paint my room? I think the pink is finally getting to me.”

Laughing, Pete nodded his head. “Just tell me what color and we’ll paint it.”

“Wouldn’t mind a blue, something light.” Rose shrugged her shoulder a bit. “Thanks for talking to me.”

“It’s what I’m here for. You can always talk to me, Rose.”

“I should go see what James is up to. I’ll see you later for dinner? What time is Mum getting back with Tony?”

“I think five, or so.”

“I’ll make us something then so she doesn’t have to worry.”

“Let me know if you need help.”

“I will.” Rose left her father’s office, feeling better after their conversation. She walked down the hall to the guest room, seeing that the door was open. Leaning against the doorframe, she smiled, watching the Doctor taking a part some of the things he bought today.

“There you are! I thought I lost you.”

Smiling, Rose walked into the room and sat on the bed. “Not possible. Are you having fun?”

“I am. There’s so many parts here, Rose!”

Laughing softly, Rose lay down on the bed, watching him. She listened to him explaining what the different parts were and what he was going to try to use them for. She hadn’t asked him what he was making and now, she was just going to wait for whatever he was building to be finished.

Around five, Rose walked down to the kitchen to make dinner for everyone. Knowing Tony, he probably wouldn’t want to eat after all the cake he ate at the party. She figured she could make chicken, vegetables, and rice for everyone. Just as she was finishing dinner, Jackie walked into the house with Tony, listening to him talk about how much fun he had at the party.

“Hi, sweetheart. You didn’t have to cook.”

“Hi, Mum. I didn’t mind. It’s almost done. Table is set too.”

“Thanks, Love.” Turning to her son, she gave him a smile. “Could you go up and your dad and the Doctor?” While Tony ran upstairs, Jackie turned to her daughter. “How was your date with himself?”

When the Doctor had insisted on being called the Doctor, Jackie had found it to be a ridiculous name and had never liked calling him that. She always referred to him as ‘himself’. She was accepting of it now, but still continued to call him that since it was their own joke.

“It was fun. We went up to the markets. James got me a necklace and we got lamps for the flat.”

“Let me see the necklace.” Jackie walked over to her daughter, seeing the pendant hanging around her neck. “It’s beautiful.”

“He said it was so when he couldn’t be with me, I would still sort of have him around.”

“Who knew he could be like that.”

“He who?” Pete questioned, walking into the kitchen with Tony and the Doctor.

“No one, darling.”

As they sat down at the table to eat dinner, Tony told his father all about the party he went to. Rose and the Doctor held hands under the table whenever they could. Their day together had been amazing and both Rose and the Doctor looked forward to many more days like that. After dinner, Jackie and Pete insisted on cleaning up the dishes. Saying good night to her parents, the Doctor and Rose went upstairs to relax together. Deciding to go into the guest room, Rose went into her room first to change into her pajamas. Once the Doctor changed, he opened the door so she knew it was okay to come in.

While Rose relaxed in the bed, reading her book, the Doctor sat on the floor, still going through the parts he had.

“Are you going to do that all night?” Rose questioned softly, looking at him from over the top of her book.

“Probably not. Why?”

“I thought we could find a movie and watch it on my laptop.”

“Brilliant idea!” The Doctor cleaned up his mess before going into Rose’s room to get her laptop. After they decided on a movie, the pair snuggled up together to watch it. Halfway through the movie, Rose fell asleep against the Doctor’s shoulder. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, the Doctor turned the movie off and shifted them a bit so they were under the blankets. With his arms wrapped around her, the Doctor fell asleep not long after he settled in.


	14. All You Need is a Hand to Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor spend a rainy day inside while the Doctor talks about traveling next year after graduation. While he doesn't want to leave Rose, she convinces him to go, at least for a little while. Later, they celebrate his birthday together and Rose surprises him with her gift to him.

The rest of the week flew by quickly. Rose and the Doctor visited Wilf again and the Doctor spoke with Donna about the plans he wanted to make for next year, when he was done with University. Rose was able to spend more time with her father as well. He decided to get the paint while she was here and promised her that by the next time she visited, her room would be painted. Tony didn’t understand why they had to leave and Rose promised she would visit again before classes started up again. Pete told Rose since they wanted to come back up, she should give her notice in sooner. While Rose hadn’t wanted to give up working this soon, the Doctor and Jackie convinced her to take Pete up on his offer. Though, her mother’s arguments were vastly different from her boyfriend’s.

Saturday afternoon they packed their belongings into the Doctor’s car. Rose hugged her parents and told them she would call them and let them know when they would be back. They stopped over at Wilf’s and said goodbye to him and Donna. The Doctor let him know they would be back to visit before classes started up again and would call to let him know when. The trip home didn’t take as long as they thought it would, thankful there wasn’t any traffic. Once the car was unpacked and everything put away, Rose walked over to the store to get some things they needed. She sent a quick text to her mum, letting her know they got home. She knew the Doctor would call Wilf and let him know they were home. With her shopping done, she walked back home, and with the Doctor’s help, put everything away. After a quick dinner of some takeaway he had ordered while she was out, they went to bed, both exhausted from their trip home from London.

The next morning, the Doctor woke up to Rose making breakfast for them. She hadn’t slept his bed with him, arguing that they had spent enough time together the past two weeks that they should sleep apart that night. He pouted all through dinner after she told him this that she promised they could lay in bed part of the day the next day. Getting out of bed, he used the bathroom before heading out to the kitchen. Sneaking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “Morning.”

Rose woke early that morning, feeling well rested. She knew the Doctor had missed her beside him last night, but they both needed a night apart. While they hadn’t spent every night together the past two weeks, most nights were spent together. Rose decided to make breakfast for them when she woke up, wanting to surprise the Doctor with breakfast in bed, but it seemed that he had woken up before she could. Giggling softly, she leaned back against his chest. “Morning. Breakfast is almost ready. I was going to surprise you.”

Leaning his chin on her shoulder he chuckled. “Sorry. Can I help with anything?”

“No, everything is set. I made some tea, if you want some.”

“Ta.” Kissing her cheek, he let go of her before grabbing a mug. He poured himself a cup and refilled her cup. Leaning against the counter, he watched her as he took a sip.

Rose glanced over at him, a smile on her face. “You can sit at the table, if you want.”

“I like watching you cook.”

“You’re so weird.”

“Oi. You like it.”

“I do.” Rose finished cooking breakfast and plated their food. Bringing it over to the table she went back into the kitchen to get her mug. She saw that the Doctor was still standing there, watching her. Walking over to him, she took his free hand in hers.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. “Thank you, for breakfast.”

Kissing him back, she smiled softly. “It’s no problem.” Tugging on his hand, she walked with him over to the table. As they ate breakfast, the Doctor looked out of the window. “We picked a good day to not go out.”

Rose turned her head towards the window, seeing that it was pouring rain. “Guess it was good that we came back yesterday.”

Once they finished breakfast and the dishes were washed, the Doctor headed into the shower. Rose cleaned up around the flat and sorted through the mail they had received while they were gone. She sent a text over to Martha, thanking her for getting their mail and to let her and Mickey know they were back. After making plans with Martha to meet during the week, Rose brought her mail into her room and dropped the Doctor’s off in his room.

The Doctor walked out of the bathroom, passing Rose in the hall. With a quick kiss, he headed into his room to get dressed.

Rose took her shower and changed into her pajamas. Since they weren’t going anywhere, she didn’t feel like wearing anything else. Once she was done, she walked down the hall into the Doctor’s room. He was sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard. “Find anything to watch yet?”

The Doctor looked up at her, shaking his head. “Not yet.” He patted the spot next to him, pulling back the covers for her to sit with him.

Going over to the bed, she climbed in and sat close to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Nothing on?” She murmured, curling into him slightly.

Flipping through the channels some more, he finally settled on an old House rerun. “Ha!” He gave her a smile, kissing the top of her head. “You alright?”

“Still not a fan of thunder.” She admitted, looking at the television.

“Come here.” He put his arm around her, tucking her into his side before pulling the blanket over them both. “Better?”

Rose smiled a bit, getting comfortable as she leaned against him. “Mm, better.” Bringing her hand up, she cupped his cheek gently, pressing a tender kiss against his lips.

Running his hand up and down her arm, the Doctor returned her kiss. Breaking the kiss a few minutes later, he leaned his forehead against hers. When another clap of thunder sounded, he felt Rose shake in his arms. “Do you want to go under the blankets? Would that help?”

“I guess.” Rose bit her lip, looking up at him. “I’m sorry.”

The Doctor gave her a smile, shaking his head. “Nothing to be sorry about. You know, thunder is only the sound that lightening makes. It’s caused by a sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning which creates a quick increase of the air surrounding and inside a bolt of lightning. The expansion creates a sort of shock wave which creates the sound of thunder.” He scooted down under the covers and gestured for her to come with him. Once she was under the covers with him, he pulled it over their heads.

Giggling softly, she shook her head. “Where did you learn that from?” Laying her head against his shoulder, she rested her hand over his heart.

“My dad actually. I was scared of thunder when I was a kid and he wanted to make sure I knew I had nothing to worry about. If you see the lightning, you can count to see how far away the storm is.” He placed his hand against her back, the other resting over the hand that was on his chest.

“He sounds like he was a brilliant man.” While Rose spent quite a lot of time with the Doctor’s mother, she only remembers meeting his father a few times.

“He was. My mum was too.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back a few times, letting out a breath.

Turning her hand, she laced their fingers together, bringing their joined hands up, she pressed a kiss to his. “What did Donna say about your idea?”

He rested their joined hands against his chest again, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “She said as long as I wanted to, she wouldn’t stop me. Things between her and Jack are serious so she might be considering moving in with him at some point. We both know Gramps will be fine on his own, we just want to make sure one of us is there, just in case.”

“Is she going to talk to Gramps or are you going to?”

“When we go back to visit, we’ll both talk to him.”

“Do you think he’ll get upset that you’re not going to travel like you had planned?”

“Plans change.” He shrugged his shoulders a bit. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I will be here when you come back. If I could, I would go with you. You’ve been talking about travelling for as long as I can remember.”

“Would you miss me if I went?”

Roe nuzzled her nose against his cheek, a smile on her face. “Terribly. But with Skype, we can still see each other.”

“Not the same.” He mumbled petulantly.

“James,” Her voice was gentle, a frown forming on her lips. “I just don’t want you to miss out on something you really want to do.”

Turning his head, he looked at her. “You’ll still be here when I get back?”

“I’ll collect you from the airport myself.” She assured him.

“I guess I could go for just a month.”

“See, a month will fly by. You would be back before you knew it. You will have to get me a present though.” She teased him, pressing her lips to his quickly before pulling back.

“Oh that shouldn’t be a problem.” His grin was wide on his face as he leaned his forehead against hers.

“Do you think the storm is over? I haven’t heard any thunder for a while.” Moving her free hand up, she ran her fingers through his hair as they lay there.

“It’s still going on. You just haven’t heard it.”

“I guess hearing what thunder was, made it seem less crazy.”

“Do you want to go back to watching television?”

“We can. I’m just going to get some water. I’ll be back in a tick.” Climbing out of the bed, Rose padded into the kitchen.

The Doctor watched her walk out before sitting up so he could lean against the headboard.

Rose walked back in with a few bottles of water, placing them on the nightstand. She handed him one and took one for herself before climbing back into the bed. “I’m going to try to meet up with Martha during the week. I think Mickey is coming too. Will you go out with us too?” Turning a bit, she lay her legs in his lap, taking a sip of her water.

“Yup. I get to show off my girl, of course I’ll go.” He placed his hand on her leg, running his fingers up and down it.

Rose laughed, shaking her head at him. “Maybe I’m the one that wants to show you off.”

“Oi! With you on my arm, I won’t be able to show off.” He joked, pulling her closer to him so she was in his lap.

Laughing at his antics, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his, briefly. “I’ll try not to upstage you.”

“Having you upstage me is not something I will ever mind.” He pressed a kiss to her bare arm, before looking at her. “Promise me one thing.”

Rose smiled at him, nodding her head. “Anything.”

“While I am gone, you need to take care of Bessie.”

The look on his face was so serious that Rose had to let out a laugh. “I will take care of your car, don’t worry.”

“Ta.”

“Though, we still have a year to make any decisions. Everything will be okay.”

“And you promise you’ll be here when I come back?”

“I won’t go anywhere.” She promised, a smile on her face. She knew he was worried about leaving her behind, which he wasn’t. She would be setting herself up at work and settling in there. Moving from his lap, she lay down on the bed, holding her hand out to him. “Come lay with me.”

Taking her hand, he lay down next to her, brushing some hair from her face.

Rose gave him a smile, bringing their joined hands up to lay between them. “I’ll have Cuddles with me to keep me company.” She reminded him, a smile on her face. She had decided to name the lion he won her Cuddles, much to his dismay.

Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. “We really are crazy.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She confirmed, a smile on her face.

Rose ended up falling asleep mid-afternoon. The Doctor covered her up and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He grabbed the book he had been reading before the left and decided to read that while she slept. When he spoke to Donna about the possibility of moving in with Wilf when he was done with University, he also mentioned the possibility of asking his grandfather if Rose could move in with him. He wouldn’t mention anything to Rose until after he discussed it with Wilf though. He didn’t want to move and not have Rose with him. He didn’t want to go back to not living with her. Donna had told him to think about it for a while and not rush into anything.

As it was nearing five, the Doctor ran his fingers over Rose’s cheek trying to gently wake her up. “Rose, Love, wake up.” He gently shook her shoulder, smiling softly at her.

Rose slowly woke up, stretching out a bit on the bed. “What time is it?” She mumbled, looking up at him.

“Five.”

As she sat up, she let out a small groan. She wouldn’t be able to fall asleep later when she really needed to.

“I’m sorry.” He leaned over, kissing her gently. “I’ll make us dinner.”

“Not your fault.” She kissed him back, giving him a smile. “I’d like that. Do you want help?”

“Nope.” With one more kiss, he got off the bed and headed into the kitchen.

Rose smiled to herself before getting off the bed. She walked into the living room, seeing that it was still dark out and raining. Going over to the couch, she turned on their new lamp. “James?”

“Yes, Rose?”

“Come look at the lamp.” She requested, looking towards the kitchen.

The Doctor walked out, seeing her beaming smile. He went over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “It’s lovely. Does this mean I don’t have to get you flowers anymore?” He joked, tucking her into his side.

“You still have to get me flowers.” She poked his side playfully, kissing his cheek. “Thanks for putting the lamps up for me.”

“No problem.” He kissed the side of her head before going back into the kitchen.

Rose turned the other lamp on before going into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter, she watched him as he prepared dinner. “What are you making?”

“Steak, asparagus, and rice.”

“Sounds good. Are you sure I can’t help?”

“No, you made breakfast this morning. I’m making dinner.”

“You’ll spoil me at this rate.”

Wiping his hands, he walked over to her. Placing his hands on either side of her, he leaned in, kissing her nose. “You deserve it.”

Resting her hands on his shoulders she smiled at him, scrunching her nose up. “Your birthday is coming up soon. What would you like to do?”

While he didn’t like celebrating his birthday, he knew Rose would want to celebrate it. They had celebrated it every year, just the two of them. Rose was the same way, she would always get a card from her mum, but never wanted to celebrate it. “Can we have a quiet night in?”

“’Course. I’ll make us dinner and we’ll spend it together.” Rose gestured over to the stove where the rice was boiling over. “Your rice is boiling.”

The Doctor walked back over to the stove, muttering something about distractions to which Rose giggled.

Once dinner was ready, the Doctor plated everything and brought it over to the table. Going back over to Rose, he held his hand out. “Your dinner is served, madam.”

Giggling softly, she placed her hand in his, getting off the counter. She walked over to the table and sat down across from him. “It looks delicious.”

“Ta.”

With dinner finished, Rose let the Doctor relax while she cleaned up the dishes. Once everything was cleaned up, she joined the Doctor in the living room. “It looks nice with just the lamps on.” She told him as she sat down on the couch.

He moved closer to her, placing his arm around her. “Yeah, it does.”

“I had fun today.”

“So did I.”

Rose grabbed the remote and turned the television on before leaning into the Doctor.

“What time do you have work tomorrow?”

“I’m due in at half eight. Should be back after one.”

“Are you going to put in your notice?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Rose let out a sigh, moving her legs so they were in his lap.

“Think of all the time we’ll have together now.”

“Studying you mean?” She teased him, poking her tongue out at him.

“Roooose!” He pouted, running his hands up and down her legs.

Laughing softly, she leaned over, running her fingers through his hair. “We still have to study, but yes, we’ll have more time together.”

“Fine, we’ll study.” He relented, slouching down on the couch.

“My hero.” She remarked dryly. “I’m going to go lay down, see if I can fall asleep again. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He really disliked her new rule of not being able to share a bed when she had work, or they had school the next day. At least it would only be for a little while longer. He pulled her down gently, kissing her goodnight. “Sweet dreams.”

Kissing him back, she smiled softly. “Night.” Rose walked down the hall to her room, closing the door behind her.

The next day, Rose met with her manager and gave her notice in. She would miss working there but her parents had a valid point. She should be focusing on school and enjoying her last year with her friends. Not constantly worrying about working and trying to find time to study. At least this way too, she would be able to visit her parents more. Making her way home, Rose was having second thoughts. She didn’t want to seem like she couldn’t pull her own, when she could. Walking into the flat, she found the Doctor in his parts room.

“Hello.” The Doctor walked over to her, kissing her cheek. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Long day.”

“Didn’t sleep last night?”

“Not really, no.”

“How did your boss take it?”

“She understood.” Rose shrugged her shoulders, looking at him. “Do you think I’m taking an easy way out?”

“By having your dad pay for your rent? No, I don’t. He offered, they want to do this for you. What brought this on? You were fine with this yesterday.”

“I just don’t want anyone thinking I can’t pull my own.” She felt tears coming down her cheeks and she furiously wiped at them.

“Rose, you’ve been taking care of yourself since you were fourteen and old enough to babysit. No one thinks that.” He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Why don’t you go take a bath and relax?”

“Yeah I will.” Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned her chin on his shoulder.

Leaning back he wiped her face gently before pressing a kiss to her forehead. He watched as she went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She was amazing, his Rose. She was always looking out for everyone else, but if someone tried to look out for her, she had a hard time accepting it. While she was in the bathroom, he snuck out of the house, and down the street to the market. He picked up some flowers for her, hoping that they would cheer her up. Walking back into the house, he found her vase and placed the flowers in it. Seeing that she was still in the bathroom, he placed them in her room before going back to his lab, as he liked to refer to it as.

Rose got out of the bath almost an hour later. Wrapping a towel around her body, she walked into her room to get dressed. Her face lit up when she saw the flowers on her nightstand. Changing into her pajamas, she walked back over to where the Doctor was. She watched as he was putting something together. Walking closer to him, she kissed his cheek gently. “Thank you.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he looked up at her. “No problem. Are you feeling better?”

“I am now.” Leaning down, she kissed him softly, running her fingers through his hair.

The Doctor kissed her back, letting his hands rest against her hips. A little while later, he broke the kiss, allowing them both to catch their breaths. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

“For taking such good care of me.” She smiled at him, as she rested her hands on his shoulders.

“It’s something I enjoy doing.”

“So then I don’t need to kiss you as a thank you.”

He shook his head quickly. “Oh, well, I wouldn’t mind if you kept doing that.”

Rose laughed before kissing him again. She spent the rest of the afternoon watching him as he worked on whatever it was that he was building. She always enjoyed watching him work, even if she didn’t always understand what he was working on.

Two weeks later, Rose had finished her last day at the bookstore. It also happened to be the Doctor’s birthday. Having finished at one, Rose took the bus back home. On her way back to the flat, she stopped at the market, getting the few things she needed for dinner. Walking in to the flat, she closed the door behind her before heading into the kitchen. After putting her items away, she made her way down the hall to see where the Doctor was. “James?”

“In here.” He called from his bedroom.

Rose walked into his bedroom, giving him a smile. “Happy Birthday, handsome.” Leaning down, she kissed him gently.

“Ta.” He kissed her back, pulling her down so she was sitting with him on the bed. “How was work?”

“It was fine. I’ll miss working there.”

“No being sad on my birthday.” This earned him a smile from her. “Besides, we’re going to visit everyone in a few days, you should be happy.”

“I am. Although, I am happy we’re staying with Wilf. It was nice of him to offer to have me stay there.”

“Well, there is one stipulation.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re going to have to share a room.”

Rose gave him a smile, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t mind that.” Sitting up on the bed, she looked at him. “What did you get up to today?”

“Hung around here. Talked to Donna and Gramps.”

“I’m glad you relaxed today.” Getting up from the bed, she walked into her room where she had her present for him. Going back into his room, she handed the box to him. “Happy Birthday.”

“You didn’t need to get me anything.”

“I wanted to. Open it.” Climbing on the bed she sat next to him, watching him.

The Doctor unwrapped the box, tossing the paper on the floor. Opening the box, he pulled out a blanket, which seemed to be made of t-shirts. His t-shirts. The ones he no longer wore but didn’t want to get rid of. “Are these mine?”

“Yes.” Biting her lip, she smoothed out the fabric on the blanket. “I know you didn’t want to get rid of them and this way you can keep them. It’s big enough it’ll cover your bed.”

“This is great. Thank you.” Leaning over, he kissed her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Kissing him back, she cupped his face in her hands. Pulling back from the kiss she gave him a smile. “I was afraid you would be mad that I ruined your shirts.

“You didn’t ruin them. This is the greatest thing anyone has given me.” He got off the bed and helped her up as well. He placed the blanket on the bed so he could see which shirts of his she had used. Most of them he hadn’t worn in a few years so it was good to see them being used for something he would have for a long time. “Hey Rose?”

“Yeah?”

“How come a couple of the shirts on here are yours? Wait, did you use the ‘Trust me I’m a doctor’ shirt too?”

Rose blushed, shrugging her shoulders. “I need a couple more to fill in the patches. I used the shirt I was wearing when you asked me out and the one I wore when we had our first kiss. No, I didn’t use your shirt, I got another one. I know it’s your favorite, but I wanted it to be on here.”

“You’re amazing.”

Rose leaned up and gave him a quick peck on his lips. “I’m glad you like it. I guess that means we’re sleeping in here tonight?”

The Doctor nodded his head, a smile on his face. “Yup.”

After dinner that night and the small cake Rose got him, Rose and the Doctor lay in his bed. With one arm thrown around her waist, his other arm was under her neck to support it. He didn’t want to take his eyes off of her. No one had ever given him something as thoughtful as she had given him. He would be careful with the blanket, knowing it was essentially one of a kind, just like his Rose. As he watched her fall asleep, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes. He loved her and quite possibly, if he were lucky, she loved him. He would tell her tomorrow, yes, tomorrow was good.


	15. By Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Rose start school again, getting into a whole new routine for their last year. One day while the Doctor is working with Mickey on something, he gets hurt.

The rest of the summer flew by for them. After the trip they took up to London after the Doctor’s birthday, they made two additional trips. The Doctor spoke with his grandfather about the possibility of him moving in with him once he was done with school. Wilf knew he was getting older and didn’t want to be a burden for his grandchildren. Not that either Donna or the Doctor thought that. He was seventy, older then he wanted to be. He knew the best thing would be to sell his house and get a small flat in one of the senior developments. This way, they could still visit him, but he would be on his own. While they tried to talk him out of it, Wilf wouldn’t listen to Donna or the Doctor.

With the impending sale, Jack asked Donna to move in with him. While she was thrilled, her brother had warned Jack not to hurt his sister. Pete had helped Wilf get the house on the market and set him up in his new flat. The Doctor packed up the stuff he had stored at his grandfather’s and left it in Rose’s room at her parents’. While Rose knew the Doctor was upset about Wilf’s decision, it meant he would be traveling for a month after graduation. He would wait of course to leave until after Martha and Mickey’s wedding. When he came back though, he wasn’t sure where he would live. He still had nine months to figure it out, but he knew that would be here before he knew it.

After his birthday, the Doctor had a hard time letting Rose know he loved her. He tried so many times, but could never get the words out. He didn’t want to just blurt it out, but knowing him, that’s probably how it would happen. They ended up going away for a long weekend to the country right before the module started up. The Doctor had borrowed his grandfather’s telescope and they got to see more stars. They both had a great time and came back from the trip better in sync with each other than before they left.

In between trips to visit their families, Rose was helping Martha with her wedding planning. They decided to get married the week after graduation, since Martha was changing schools and they would need to find a new flat before then. It was going to be a small wedding, just their immediate families and close friends. Rose was so happy for her friends and couldn’t wait to celebrate the day with them.

After registering for classes, Rose and the Doctor were happy to see that most of the time they would be on campus at the same time. The only time they wouldn’t be was on Fridays when Rose only had one class that day and he had two. With the wedding date finally set, the Doctor booked his plane ticket to Germany and from there he would go to Italy then Greece, finally to Ireland before heading home. He would spend about a week in each. He asked her again to go with him, but she declined. She didn’t have the money for the airfare and wasn’t asking her parents to help her when they already did so much.

Things were going well for them during the first couple of months of classes. They would head over to campus together and would wait for each other before going back home. Rose still stuck with her no sleepovers on school-nights policy, much to the Doctor’s dismay. He really hoped she hadn’t been serious about that. They had gone back to London twice since the module started, staying with Rose’s parents both times. Wilf’s house had sold and he gave most of the money to Donna and the Doctor, citing he didn’t need it and that he wanted to do something for them.

It was now the middle of November and Rose was walking back home after class. Thankfully it was a Thursday and she only had one more class to get through before the weekend. The Doctor was meeting up with Mickey to work on some project they had for one of their shared classes. She decided to make dinner for them when he got home, which hopefully wouldn’t be that long. He had said he was meeting Mickey around one and it was already half four. Walking into the flat, she put her bag down on the table as he phone started to ring. Seeing it was Mickey, she was a bit confused since he was supposed to be with the Doctor. “Hey Micks. What’s up?”

“I need you to come meet us at the A&E. The Doctor had a bit of an accident.”

Rose paled, grabbing her bag. “What happened? Is he okay?”

“I’ll explain when you get here. He’s fine, for the most part.”

“Alright, I’m on my way.” Grabbing the Doctor’s keys, she went down to car park and got into his car. She drove down to the A&E and parked in short-term parking. Rushing in, she gave his name and was directed to one of the beds. She saw Mickey standing outside, pacing a bit in front of the bed. “Mickey.” She called his name as she walked over.

Mickey gave her a hug before getting her to sit down. “He’s fine. We were walking down the stairs in one of the corridors and he lost his footing. Fell down the whole flight.” Mickey cleared his throat, watching her. “They’re running some tests on him right now. He’s got a concussion and is unconscious right now. He’s broken some ribs and his nose. They think he may have broken his ankle, so they’re getting x-rays done.”

“How exactly did he lose his footing?”

“Well, we were carrying a box down the stairs. He was walking backwards.”

“Why didn’t you take the lift?” She sighed, shaking her head. She wasn’t going to break down. He was fine, she was just upset that he was hurt. Mickey could have been hurt as well.

“He didn’t want to. You know how he gets.”

Leaning her head against the wall, she looked up at Mickey. “You didn’t fall, did you?”

“No, I’m fine.” He handed her the Doctor’s wallet and the bag that had his clothes in it. “You’re listed as his emergency contact. They should be able to tell you everything. They’re barely telling me anything.”

“Thanks, Micks.”

He sat down next to her, jiggling his leg up and down. “I let Martha know. She’s at work and can’t leave.”

“Its fine, Mickey. Not much we can do, yeah? Just need to wait. I’ll wait to call Donna until I hear more.”

They sat there for half an hour before they wheeled him back into the room. He was still unconscious but the nurses allowed Rose and Mickey into the room. The nurse told them the doctor would be right in to talk with them. Rose sat next to his bed and held his hand in hers. It wasn’t long until the doctor came into the room. “Rose Tyler?”

Rose stood up, her hand still wrapped around the Doctor’s. “That’s me.”

“He’s going to be fine. We wrapped his ankle, and wrist. He has fractured the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs. Has a severe concussion, a broken nose, a sprained wrist, and ankle. We’re just waiting for him to regain consciousness. All of the scans we did of his brain appear normal, we don’t believe there will be lasting damage.”

Rose let out a sigh, giving the doctor a watery smile. “Thank you. How long will it take for his ribs to heal?”

“It depends. In most cases, it can take up to two months. It’s important for him to take a deep breath every hour or so. While he cannot do so now, he will need to when he wakes up. We will need to wait until he wakes up to give him something for the pain. He should be awake pretty soon though.”

“And his nose?”

“That should heal within three to four weeks. The swelling might take a bit longer and may come back.”

“How long do you think it’ll take him to regain consciousness?”

“I’m not sure, it depends on the patient. Could be as long as twenty-four hours or he could wake up within the next hour.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“If you have any questions, let the nurse know to find me.”

“I will.” Once the doctor left, Rose sat down in the chair again. Laying her head down on the bed she felt a few tears fall.

Mickey stood next to her, rubbing her back gently. “He’s going to be okay.”

“I know. It could have been worse Mickey.”

“But it wasn’t and he’s fine. He’ll be awake before you know it.”

Rose gave him a small smile. “I should go call Donna. Let her know. Will you stay with him for a minute?”

“Of course.”

Rose walked out of the room and went down the hall. Taking a deep breath she dialed Donna’s number.

“Hi Rose.”

“Hi Donna. Listen, I need to tell you something.”

“What’s wrong?”

“James fell today on campus. He was carrying something with Mickey and fell down the stairs. He broke three ribs, his nose, and sprained his ankle and wrist. He’s okay. He’s also got a concussion and he’s unconscious. The doctor didn’t think there would be any permanent issues with his brain. All the scans came back fine.”

“Oh Rose. My brother doesn’t do anything halfway does he?” She let out a sigh. “I can be down there in a few hours.”

“It’s a long drive Donna and I know you just started your new job. He’s going to be fine. The doctor thinks he’ll be awake soon. Tomorrow is Friday, come down after work. I don’t think they’ll release him until tomorrow anyway.”

“I can send Jack down in the morning. Pete wouldn’t mind giving him the day on short notice. You’ll need help getting him home.”

“I haven’t called my parents to let them know. I’d like to give them a call before Jack speaks to them.”

“Of course. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m just worry about James. I’ll be fine once he wakes up.”

“Call your parents and let them know. I’ll call Jack and ask him to meet you down there tonight. I don’t want you alone.”

“Mickey has been with me.”

“Let me send Jack down, please? It’ll make me feel better.”

“Course, Donna. I know you’re worried about him.”

“Everything will be okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Thanks, Donna.”

After they ended their call, Rose called her parents, letting them know what happened. Jackie asked if she wanted her to come down but Rose declined, citing her brother needed them both to be there. She asked her father if he could spare Jack tomorrow and he quickly agreed. Once that call ended, she sent Donna a quick text that her dad had given Jack the next day off and Monday too if he needed it. Donna replied that Jack was already in the car driving down and that she would take the train down tomorrow after work.

Rose walked back into the Doctor’s room and gave Mickey a small smile. “Jack’ll be here soon. Donna sent him down. She’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I can stay until Jack gets here.”

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

“No problem, Rose.” He pulled over another chair and let Rose back in the chair closer to the Doctor. Taking his hand in hers again, she laced their fingers together, watching him as he slept.

Jack must have broken several speeding limits since it only took him two and a half hours to get there instead of the usual three and a half. “Mickey Mouse!”

Mickey stood up when Jack walked in to greet Jack. “Captain Cheesecake.” They shook hands in greeting before Jack hugged Mickey.

“Thanks for looking out for Rosie.”

“This is sort of my fault. I needed to be here with her, make sure everything is okay.”

Rose shook her head. “Micks, it’s not your fault. Yeah, he should have been more careful but accidents happen. He’s going to be fine.”

Mickey nodded his head. “Call me if you need me to come back and let me know when he wakes up.”

“I will.” Rose hugged Mickey goodbye, thanking him again for staying with her. She handed him the Doctor’s car keys so he could get back to his flat since he had come over in the ambulance.

Jack looked at Rose and saw she was about to break down. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tightly. “It’ll be okay, Rosie.”

Rose felt the tears falling down her cheeks before she realized she was crying. Rose hugged him back as she cried.

Eventually, Rose stopped crying and Jack handed her a tissue to wipe her face. He guided her to sit down and sat down next to her. “He’s going to be more upset about the broken nose than anything.” Jack told her, trying to get a smile out of her.

Rose gave him a small smile before taking the Doctor’s hand in hers again. “Probably. The doctor said it’ll take about four weeks to heal. The bruising should go away before that but the swelling can last a bit longer. He’s still the handsomest bloke I know. Some broken bones don’t matter to me.” Rose turned her head to look at Jack. “Is Donna okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. I’m sure James will get some sort of speech when she gets here.” Jack smiled fondly, leaning back in his chair.

“How is living together going?”

“It’s great. It’s nice being able to come home and see Donna there.”

“I’m happy for the two of you.”

“How is living with Doc?”

Rose smiled, knowing if the Doctor were awake, he would complain about Jack calling him Doc. “It’s great. It’ll be weird at the end of the year to not be sharing a flat with him.”

“You won’t move in together somewhere in London?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t really discussed anything. He’s been a bit down since Gramps sold the house. Once he’s better maybe I’ll talk to him.”

“You should. You’ll be done with school before you know it.”

Rose gave him a small smile before turning back to watch the Doctor. He had been out for over four hours now. The doctor said he should be waking up at any point. Turning her head, she looked at Jack. “If you want to go over to the flat and get some sleep, you can. I’ll give you my key.”

“I told Donna I would stay.”

“Yes, but you look like you’re ready to fall asleep. If I need you, you’ll be a call away. I don’t need to worry about both you and him.”

“Fine. But I’m coming back first thing unless you call.”

Rose handed Jack her key to the flat and hugged him. “There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks. You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll just kip here on the chair or something. Could you bring my computer with you tomorrow?”

“Sure, no problem.” With one more hug, he left to go over to their flat.

Rose leaned over and pressed her lips to the Doctor’s. “Wake up soon.” She whispered to him before sitting down. Laying her head on the bed next to their hands, she closed her eyes to try and get some rest.

It was a few hours later when she felt someone’s hand on her head. Snapping her head up, she blinked her eyes, seeing that the Doctor was awake. “You’re awake!”

“Yup.” He groaned, obviously in pain.

Rose leaned over and pressed the call button, letting the nurse know he was awake. Smoothing her hand over his forehead she gave him a watery smile. “Just relax. They’ll come in and give you something for the pain.”

“What happened?” He mumbled, looking at her.

“You fell. You have a broken nose, some fractured ribs, and a sprained ankle and wrist. You also have a concussion.”

The nurse came in with the doctor, who checked him over. They asked him some questions like his name, age, address, and what the date was. Satisfied that he was okay, they gave him something for the pain. While they were checking his bandages, Rose stepped into the hallway to call Jack.

“He’s awake. They’re examining him now and they’ll give him something for the pain.”

“That’s good news. Do you want me to come back over there?”

“No, you get some more sleep. Come over first thing though.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I will. Thanks, Jack.”

Ending the call, Rose walked back into the room. They had finished checking him over and had him sit up a bit in the bed. Walking over to him, she stood by the side of the bed, not wanting to get in anyone’s way. “Now that he’s awake, we need to keep him alert for the next few hours. We want him to take a deep breath every hour to make sure his broken ribs haven’t punctured his lungs. The nurse will come in and check on him as he does it.”

Rose gave the doctor a grateful smile, nodding her head. “Thank you, doctor.” After he left, Rose sat down in her seat next to his bed, taking his hand in hers again. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now with the medicine. Still hurts though.”

“I’m sorry.” She brought his hand to her mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to it.

“Have you been here the whole time?”

“Yeah. I came as soon as Mickey called me. I had to call Donna, she’ll be here tomorrow, or rather later today. Jack is here though now. He’s at the flat.” Rose tucked her hair behind her ear. “When did you make me your emergency contact? You never said anything to me.”

“When we started at University. I knew if something happened, you’d be there for me. I sort of forgot to tell you.”

Rose gave him a small smile, shaking her head. “I’ll always be here for you, James.”

“Yeah?” He gave her a smile, which due to how much pain he was in, came across as a wince.

“Of course.” Standing up, she smoothed her hand over his forehead and gently over his cheek. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I would be fine going down the stairs.”

“You were going backwards.” She remarked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I was feeling daring?” He gave her a sheepish look, trying his best to pout.

“Not a good enough excuse. You two should have taken the lift.” She looked down at their joined hands. “It could have been worse.”

“I won’t do anything like that again, I promise. Can I have a kiss?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t care. It’ll be worth it.”

Rose bent down and pressed her lips to his gently, feeling her tears on his lips. Pulling back, she wiped her eyes.

“Hey, none of that. I don’t like seeing the woman I love crying.”

Rose gave him a small smile, realizing what he said. “You love me?”

“I do. I’ve been in love with you for a while now.”

“I guess that’s good, considering.”

“Considering what?”

“That I love you.”

The Doctor gave her a smile. “So you’ll nurse me back to health?”

Rose laughed softly, nodding her head. “Of course. I really thought you figured out that I loved you when I gave you your birthday present.”

“I was going tell you then, but I guess I chickened out.”

Leaning down, she kissed him, being careful of his nose.

He kissed her back until he shifted around and let out a yelp of pain.

“Try not to move so much, yeah?” Sitting down in the chair, she ran her thumb over the back of his hand.

“I’m trying. You know I hate sitting still.”

“Well, from what the doctor told me, it’s going to take at least two months for your ribs to heal.”

If he hadn’t been in the hospital, the way his eyes bugged out would have been comical. All right, it was.

Jack returned to the hospital at six. Rose had been up with the Doctor since one when he woke her up. Jack handed Rose a coffee for which she gave him a bright smile. The Doctor appeared to be doing well and that doctor said if all went well, he would be able to be released by noon.

“I spoke to Donna. She said she would be here by three. I’ve asked Mickey to get her from the train station.” Jack handed Rose the Doctor’s keys to his car along with the bag with her computer. “Mickey said if you need anything to call him.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Rose looked at the Doctor, making sure he was still awake. At this point, he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until later on that night. They wanted him to be awake for as long as possible to make sure nothing was wrong with his brain.

“How are you feeling Doc?”

The Doctor scowled, then grimaced from the pain in his nose. “Everything hurts.” He mumbled, leaning back against the pillows.

Rose ran her fingers through his hair, giving him a small smile. “They’ll come in soon and give you something for the pain.” Turning her head, she looked at Jack. “Can you sit with him for a few minutes? I want to email our professors and let them know we’ll be out today.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” Rose bent down and kissed the Doctor before taking her bag and leaving the room.

The Doctor looked at Jack as he sat down. “Thanks for coming down.”

“Your sister insisted.” Jack shrugged his shoulders, a small smile on his lips. “She wanted to come down last night, but she just started that new job. She was able to get half a day though.”

“You didn’t need to come down.” He mumbled, a pout forming on his lips.

“You explain that to your sister.”

Rose walked back into the room a few minutes later with the nurse behind her. Putting her bag down she watched as the nurse took his vitals and asked him the same questions they had asked him earlier that morning. The nurse gave him something for the pain before leaving the room.

When they brought him his breakfast he looked at Rose. “You should go get something to eat.”

“I’m fine. I’m not hungry.”

“Rosie, you’ve been here all night and haven’t had anything to eat. Come on, I’ll take you to breakfast.”

Rose shook her head. “No, I’m staying here. You can bring me something back if you really want to.”

The Doctor looked at Jack, taking Rose’s hand in his free one. “Would you mind bringing her back something?”

Jack shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t. I’ll be back.” He squeezed Rose’s shoulder before leaving the room.

Rose gave him a small smile before sitting down next to the Doctor.

“You could have gone with him.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m fine, Love.”

“Do you want me to ask you to shift over?” She questioned, raising her eyebrow.

“No.” He mumbled before starting to eat his breakfast.

Rose sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I’m sorry, James. I’m just worried about you.”

“I know. I want you to stay.”

“I’m sure you can’t wait to get home too.”

“If I have to stay in bed, I’d rather you were lying next to me.”

Rose blushed, ducking her head down. “I don’t know how much cuddling we’ll be able to do with your ribs. But I will lay in bed with you.”

“We’ll manage.”

Rose gave him a smile, shaking her head.

Jack came back half an hour later, handing Rose a take away box with her breakfast. Sitting down in the other chair, he stated to talk to the Doctor about the project he was working on for Torchwood. Rose was grateful that Jack was there to help them.

They were in the hospital until noon when the Doctor was released. He was told to take it easy for the next two weeks and to stay home for at least a week, longer if possible. He would need to lay on his injured side whenever possible to keep his breathing normal, if he couldn’t sleep on his back. The doctor handed Rose the prescriptions the Doctor needed to have filled once he got home. While Jack pulled his car up, Rose helped the Doctor into a wheelchair and pushed him towards the exit.

“I can walk.”

“You need to rest your ankle, handsome.” Rose reminded him, bending down to kiss his cheek.

Once they were outside, Jack and Rose helped the Doctor into the car. After Jack and Rose got in, Jack drove them over to the flat. They got the Doctor up into his room and settled into bed. Rose left Jack with the Doctor to go get his medicine.

“Do you need anything?”

“I’d like to shower.” The Doctor admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

Jack helped into the bathroom and stood outside the door just in case. Once he was done and dressed, Jack helped him back into his bed.

Rose came back a little while later and saw Jack sitting in the Doctor’s room with him. Putting his medicine on the nightstand she smiled at them. “Can I get either of you anything?”

The Doctor gave her a cheeky smile. “Can I have a kiss?”

Smiling softly she winked at Jack before leaning down to press a kiss to the Doctor’s cheek.

“Oi! That’s not what I meant.”

Giggling softly, she pressed her lips to his gently. “Better?”

“Yes.”

Heading into the kitchen, she made them both a sandwich for lunch and brought the plates to them. Once they were settled, she took a shower and changed into some yoga pants and a t-shirt. Heading back into the Doctor’s room, she sat on the bed with him.

“Donna should be getting in soon.” Jack told them, looking at his watch.

“Are you going to pick her up or is Mickey still going?”

“I’ll go pick her up. You’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

Jack left the flat a few minutes later, leaving them alone. The Doctor looked over at Rose as she curled up against one of the pillows. Feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head, giving him a smile. “Do you need something?”

“Will you come closer?”

Rose moved over a bit so she was sitting right next to him. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“How’s your head?”

“Still hurts.”

Rose pressed a kiss to his temple before leaning her forehead against the side of his head. “You have a huge bump at the back of your head. Should probably wait until that goes down before I try to give you a massage.”

“Promise?”

Rose smiled, picking her head up. “Promise. Do you want another pain reliever? It’s time if you need one.”

“Please.”

Rose got up and grabbed a bottle of water for him. Going back into the room, she handed him one of the pills and the water.

“Ta.” After taking his medicine, he leaned back a bit against the pillow.

“If you want to try and sleep, the doctor said it would be okay. I’ll just need to wake you every hour, just to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’ll try. Will you stay?”

“Of course. Let me just go get my books.” She grabbed her stuff from her room and walked back to his room. Settling on the bed she started on the homework she had while he rested.

Jack came back with Donna a little while later. The Doctor had fallen asleep, so they let him sleep. Rose put her school stuff in her room and joined them in the living room. About an hour later, Rose got up to check on the Doctor.

Donna turned to look at Jack. “How is she doing?”

“She’s having a hard time leaving him alone. She’s worried.”

Donna frowned, shaking her head. “I just hope she doesn’t run herself down.”

“She’ll be fine. Doc will make her rest if he sees she’s doing too much.”

Rose walked over to the Doctor and gently shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up. “James?”

“Hmm?” He opened his eyes, giving her a tired smile.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

“What’s today?”

“Friday. We were supposed to go to the movies tonight.”

Rose smiled, shaking her head. “Movies can wait. Do you want to go back to sleep?”

“Is Donna here?”

“Yeah. She’s in the living room. Do you want me to get her?”

“Sure.”

Rose helped him to sit up on the bed before she went to go get Donna. Deciding to give them some time, she sat down on the couch and closed her eyes. She felt Jack cover her with a blanket as she fell asleep. She woke a couple hours later, smelling food coming from the kitchen. Walking over, she saw Jack and Donna setting the table for dinner.

“Sorry I fell asleep.”

Donna smiled at her, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it. You only missed me yelling at my idiot brother.”

“How is he feeling?”

“He seems okay. We ordered take away, since neither of us felt like cooking.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it. Can I help with anything?”

“Do you want to bring him his dinner?”

Rose smiled. “Sure. I’ll take mine in too so he has company.”

Donna and Jack shared a smile before Donna handed her two plates and silverware on a tray. “Thanks.”

Rose walked into the Doctor’s room, seeing that he was sitting up. “Hi.” She set the tray down on the bed before sitting by his side.

“Hello. Donna said you were sleeping.”

“I was but then I smelled the food and got hungry.” Rose shrugged her shoulders as they started to eat.

“Donna said Jack is staying until Monday?”

“Yeah, he is. Just until your ankle gets better. Doctor said to stay off it as much as possible for a few days. I set up my room for them to use.”

“Where are you going to sleep?”

Rose smiled at him, shrugging at her shoulders. “The couch. Unless you wouldn’t mind me staying in here?”

“I wouldn’t mind. The couch isn’t comfortable anyway.”

Giggling softly, she shook her head. They had spent a few nights curled up on the couch together, even falling asleep on it. The couch was probably one of the most comfortable couches she had ever slept on. “I’ll stay here then.”

Once they were both done with dinner, Rose brought their plates into the kitchen so she could wash them. After she finished washing everything, she made her way into her room to get some clothes out so she wouldn’t disturb Donna or Jack. After making sure they had everything they needed, Rose made her way back into the Doctor’s room, putting her stuff on top of his dresser. Walking over to the bed, she bent down and gave him a kiss.

Kissing her back, he smiled at her. “I love you.”

“I love you.” Rose gave him one more kiss before getting into the bed next to him. She helped him lay on his side carefully, covering him with the blanket. Laying down next to him, she turned on her side so she could face him. “You’ll wake me if you need something?”

“I will. Sweet dreams, Love.” He closed his eyes, resting his hand next to hers.

Rose smiled at him, watching him. “Sleep well, James.” She closed her eyes a few minutes later, falling asleep quickly.

It only took the Doctor until Sunday before he was going stir crazy. With Jack’s help, they set him up in the living room. He was still in pain, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been. Donna left Sunday afternoon after Rose assured her they would be fine and would call if something happened. On Monday, Rose headed over to campus to attend her classes for the day. She also met with her professors and the Doctor’s to get their work for the week, explaining the situation. She asked a few of their friends if they could record the lectures for them so they wouldn’t miss out on it. Going back home, she walked in to see the Doctor walking down the hallway, albeit, a bit slowly.

“I see you’re feeling better?”

“My ankle is at least.”

Rose put their stuff down at the kitchen table before she walked over to him. “I guess you don’t need your favorite nurse anymore.” She teased him, a smile on her face.

“Well, my ribs do still hurt and you promised me a scalp massage.”

“I guess I’ll need to deliver that.” Taking his hand in hers, she laced their fingers together. “How is your nose feeling?”

“Hurts. Jack said you still thought I was handsome?”

Rose blushed, nodding her head. “Makes you look more rugged.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

“Just try not to break your nose again, yeah?”

“I’ll try.”                                                             

After Jack left later that night, Rose was getting ready for bed. Turning her head, she saw the Doctor standing in her doorway. Giving him a smile she gestured for him to come in as she was brushing her hair. They had sorted through their work for the week and the Doctor was happy she would be staying home with him.

“Will you stay with me again?” He asked as he sat down on her bed.

“I can, yeah. You’re not tired of me?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you.”

Giving him a smile, she took his hand and walked with him back to his room. After they both climbed in the bed and the Doctor was on his side, Rose moved closer to him so he could put his arm around her.

“I can’t wait for these blasted ribs to heal.” She heard the Doctor mutter, wincing in pain.

“I’m sorry you’re in so much pain.”

“It’s not the pain so much. I just miss holding you properly.”

“You’ll just have to make it up to me then.” Laying her head on his pillow, she kissed him gently. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Kissing her back, he leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. He held her as close as he could while she fell asleep. Before he fell asleep, he kissed her forehead gently before laying his head back down. Closing his eyes, he soon followed her into a deep slumber.


	16. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor go up to London to spend Christmas with their families. Jack and Donna have a big announcement to make while Rose and the Doctor talk to her parents about one of their own.

A month later found Christmas approaching, which meant a trip up to London. Rose usually spent just Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day with her parents, before returning home. This year, they would be spending most of their break in London. The Doctor was for the most part feeling better. They had both returned to classes a week after his accident, with Rose checking up on him whenever she could. Once finals were over, they had three weeks off. They planned to spend two weeks in London before taking a week to themselves. Rose walked into the flat after finishing her last final. They were leaving in two days since the Doctor had his last final the next day. Putting her keys down on the counter, she walked into her room to put her bag away. She just hadn’t expected to see the Doctor laying in her bed. Walking over to him, she sat down on the edge next to him. “James?”

Opening one eye, he looked at her before giving her a smile. “Hello.” He closed his eyes again, hands resting on his chest.

“You feeling alright?”

“Yup.”

Kicking off her shoes, she walked over to her closet to hang up her coat. Looking over at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Shall I leave you so you can rest?”

The Doctor turned his head, opening his eyes so he could see her. “Come here, please.” Patting the space on the bed next to him, he gave her a hopeful smile

Walking back over to the bed, she let her arms fall down to her sides. She knew he was still in pain and still needed to rest as much as possible but she wasn’t quite sure why he was in her bed. Not that she would complain. Climbing in, she lay down next to him, turning on her side.

“Closer?”

Rose smiled softly and shifted a bit closer to him. “I don’t want to hurt your ribs.”

“You won’t. The pain isn’t bad today.”

Laying her head against his shoulder, she shifted closer to him, resting her hand on his chest. “So why did you decide to rest in my bed?”

“I missed you.” He admitted quietly, resting his hand against her back.

Smiling softly, she kissed his cheek. “I missed you too.”

“What if your bed was my bed?” He questioned, bringing his free hand to rest over hers.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what if we shared a bed.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Yes. Well, I mean since you already are living with me. I guess I’m asking if we can share a room.”

Rose smiled softly, turning her hand so she could lace their fingers together. “I would like that.”

“It’ll break your rule of no sleepovers during the week.”

“You’ve been breaking that rule whenever you can.”

“Do you blame me?” He pouted, giving her his best pitiful eyes.

Rose giggled softly, leaning up to kiss him. “No, I don’t. How about when we come back, I’ll move at least my clothes in your room. I’ll see if we can get Mickey and Rory to move my dresser in there. Everything else can stay. It’s only until June anyway.”

“What about after June?”

“You’ll be traveling, I’ll be at my parents’.”

“I’m only going to be gone for a month. I meant after that.”

“Well, I was going to stay with my parents for a bit until I found a place.”

“I thought we would find something together.”

“We never talked about it, James.” She told him softly. “We’ve been together less than a year. I wasn’t sure if we were ready for that.”

“But we’re living together now.” He let out a frustrated sigh.

“I know.” She kept her voice low, not wanting to upset him. “But when I moved in, we were just friends. Yes, we’re more now and I wouldn’t give up a single moment of us living together. I wasn’t sure if living together was something you wanted to do once we finished University.” She gave him a smile, running her free hand through his hair. “I would like to, if you want to.”

“I would.” The Doctor kept his eyes on her, studying her face. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. If you don’t tell me though, how am I supposed to know what’s on your mind?” She gave him a small smile, running her finger over his lips.

“I know.” He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“But just remember, I can force you to sleep on the couch after this.” She teased him, laughing softly.

“I’ll behave.” Tugging her down, he pressed his lips to hers gently.

“Promises, promises.” Kissing him back gently, she smiled against his lips. She couldn’t wait for another adventure with him.

Rose spent the next day packing her things along with the Doctor’s while he was taking his last final. Pulling their bags into the living room, she stacked the Christmas presents she got for everyone by their bags. Martha and Mickey were going to her mum’s for Christmas so they were waiting until they came back to exchange gifts. She would have to go in two months’ time to get fitted for her bridesmaid’s dress, which she was look forward to. Since they were going to her parents’ place for Christmas, Rose and the Doctor didn’t get a Christmas tree. Rose had been a bit sad, but her mum promised they would save some of the tree decorating for her.

The Doctor walked in later that afternoon, seeing Rose in the living room. “Hello.” It had been a long term, but he was glad it was over.

Turning her head, she gave him a smile. “Hello. How did it go?”

“Good, just glad it’s over.” He walked over to her to kiss her hello.

She kissed him back, resting her hands on his chest. “Will you be alright to drive tomorrow?”

“Should be. We can always switch if I need a break.”

“You’re trusting me to drive Bessie?”

“You’ve driven her before.”

“Yes, but you’ve never willingly let me drive her.”

“I trust you.” He cupped her face in his hands, placing feather light kisses to her lips.

Once he was done kissing her, not that he would ever be done with that, Rose brought their stuff down to his car so they wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning. The Doctor tried to help, but Rose insisted he should relax. After the car was packed up, she went back into the flat. She found the Doctor standing in the living room, holding mistletoe over his head. She covered her mouth as she started to laugh, seeing him standing there with a satisfied grin on his face.

“What?”

Rose shook her head and walked over to him, kissing him soundly.

They woke very early the next morning and after a quick breakfast, they left the flat. The Doctor insisted on bringing his blanket with them so Rose packed that in a bag and placed it in the back of the car. The Doctor drove the first half of the drive before pulling over so Rose could finish. He pushed the passenger seat back as far as he could so he could lay down. She knew the bumps in the road couldn’t help matters either. Rose pulled up to her parents’ house around nine and parked the car. Sending the Doctor inside, she pulled their suitcases with her as she walked into the house. Her father helped her bring the rest of the stuff inside.

They would spend the week before Christmas and the week of Christmas with her parents before heading back to the flat. Wilf, Donna, and Jack were joining them this year for Christmas, which made it even better for Rose. The Doctor helped Rose hang the decorations her mother left for her to put on the tree after they had settled in. He promised her next year they could get their own, which put a smile on her face. It had taken her a long time to decide what to get the Doctor for Christmas. The week after Christmas was Rose’s birthday and she knew that the Doctor had something planned, she just wasn’t sure what.

A couple days before Christmas, Rose was sitting with her mum in the kitchen while Pete was working on something with the Doctor. She decided to her mum know about what the Doctor asked her.

“Mum?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“James asked me to move in with him when we come back up here.”

Jackie put down the pen she was holding to look at her daughter. “I thought you were coming back here?”

“I will, for a bit. Probably until James and I find something.” Rose bit her lip, trying to gauge if her mum was upset or not. “What do you think?”

“You don’t think you’re rushing into anything?”

“No, Mum. We talked about it. We both want to do this.”

“And wherever you live, it’ll be in both your names, not just his?”

“It’ll be in both our names. We’re going in this together.”

“Does he love you?”

“Yes, he does. I love him.”

Jackie sighed, shaking her head. “As long as you’re happy. And he better treat you right.”

Rose grinned, hugging her mother tightly. “Thanks, Mum.”

“He had better make an honest woman out of ya.”

“Mum!” Rose’s face turned beat red as she shook her head.

A similar conversation was going on in Pete’s office between the Doctor and Pete.

“Pete?”

“Yes?”

“Well, Rose and I, we’re uh talking about living together once we move back up here.”

Pete paused, looking at the younger man. “Have you decided where you’ll live?”

“No, we haven’t. We may put off looking until I’m back. I’d like to be close to Gramps and I know Rose wants to be close here, so somewhere in the middle. Wherever Rose will be happy and as long as she loves the place, I know I will too.” The Doctor had a serious look on his face when he looked at Pete. “Do we have your permission?”

Pete could tell the young man cared deeply for his daughter and knew he couldn’t say no. “If she decides to take time off for whatever reason, will you support her?”

“Of course. Whatever she needs.”

“Her mother will want you to do things the right way.”

“Rose and I, we haven’t discussed that. But I assure you, I will when the time is right.”

Pete nodded his head. “Then you have my permission.”

“Thanks, Pete.”

Christmas morning found Rose up before the Doctor. It had always been her favorite holiday, even when her and her mum didn’t have much. It would always be a day they spent together. It was so much more special now with her brother. Her parents had allowed her and the Doctor to share a room this time, since during their last visit, he kept sneaking into her room, or she into his. Pressing a kiss to her boyfriend’s lips, she curled up against him, running her fingers through his hair. “James?” She whispered his name, kissing him again.

“Wha?” He mumbled tiredly, instinctively pulling her closer to him.

“It’s Christmas. Wake up.”

He let out a tired whine before turning on his side, wrapping his arms around her.

Rose looked at the time and saw it was almost seven. Knowing Tony, he would be awake soon and waking everyone else up. Cuddling into his chest, she lay her head against it, listening to his heartbeat.

The Doctor laid there for a few more minutes before slowly opening his eyes. Looking down, he saw Rose cuddled into his chest. He pressed a kiss to her temple before nuzzling his nose against hers. “Happy Christmas, Love.”

Rose gave him a brilliant smile, tilting her head back. “Happy Christmas, handsome.” They spent the next several minutes exchanging kisses, curled up in each other’s arms.

Tony knocked on her door a few minutes later. “Rose!”

“Come in, Tony.”

Tony opened the door as Rose sat up, a happy smile on his face. “Mummy said I can wake you!”

Rose smiled, nodding her head. “We’re up. We’ll be down in a few minutes.” With a nod, Tony ran down the stairs to see what Father Christmas brought him. Looking over to the Doctor, she gave him a smile. “Let’s go see what Father Christmas got us.”

As they walked downstairs, the Doctor kept her hand securely in his own. When they made it to the last step, they heard the doorbell right, which meant Donna, Jack, and Wilf had arrived. Pete let them in just as Rose and the Doctor sat down on the couch. With Christmas greetings exchanged by all the adults, Tony handed everyone a present from under the tree before he sat down again to open one of his.

Rose hadn’t asked for anything for Christmas from her parents since they were helping her with rent this year. Knowing her mother though, Rose knew they still got her a few things. For her brother, she got him the complete Dr. Seuss collection, which he promptly asked if someone would read to him. For her mum, she got her tickets to the theatre for which Rose would babysit Tony for them while they went out. Her dad was a bit difficult for her to get something for. She decided to give him a picture of the two of them in a frame for his desk as well as one of her and Tony. She also got him some tickets to a football game for the spring.

For Donna and Jack, the Doctor and Rose decided to go in together on presents. They got Donna some of her favorite perfume and a few new sweaters. For Jack, they got him tickets to some technology exhibition. They also got for the both of them, a framed picture of the two of them for their new home. For Wilf, they got him a bowtie that had different constellations on it and some different things he needed for his new flat.

From her parents, the Doctor and Rose got new clothes, which surprised the Doctor. He wasn’t expecting anything from Pete and Jackie. Rose also received some books she had wanted, a pair of boots and some scarves. The Doctor also received new gloves and a winter hat. From Donna and Jack, Rose received a new sweater and a spa day, which she would be going on with Donna. She couldn’t wait. The Doctor received a two new pairs of Converse sneakers and a constellation guide. From Rose, the Doctor received a constellation necktie, which matched Wilf’s bowtie, tickets to the Royal Observatory, and a new jumper since she kept taking his. From the Doctor, Rose received a picture of the two of them, which she immediately hugged him for, earrings that matched her necklace, and a tea pot that resembled a stack of books.

After everyone was finished opening their gifts, Rose and the Doctor went up to her room to put their stuff away. Rose walked over to him once she was done and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I have one more thing for you which I want to give to you tonight.”

“You already got me enough.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

“This one is extra special.” Leaning up, she kissed him softly. “You, however, spoiled me.”

“I’m allowed.” He gave her a cheeky grin, kissing her. “Will you go with me to the Observatory?”

“I thought you would want to go with Gramps. I figured it would be something special for the two of you.”

“Thank you.”

They both took showers, before getting dressed for the day. Rose decided to wear her new earrings, which the Doctor decided he had to help her put on. They headed downstairs to the living room to sit with everyone and just spend the day together. Donna and Jack kept sharing looks with each other before Rose asked them what was going on.

Donna and Jack stood up, both had wide smiles on their faces. “Well, last night, Jack asked me to marry him. I’ve said yes!”

Hugs and congratulations were given to the couple by everyone. Rose could see that the Doctor had a forlorn expression on his face so she encouraged him to talk to his sister. “I know you’re happy for her, but I also know how close you are to her.”

Nodding his head, he walked over to his sister to see if they could talk. They went to the back porch so they could have some space from everyone else.

“What’s wrong spaceman?” Donna’s nickname for him was something she had called him since he was a kid, always so intrigued by everything Wilf taught him.

“You’re happy?”

“Yeah, I am. Jack is one of the best men I know.”

“Mum and Dad would have been happy for you.”

“The one thing I am going to miss is Dad not walking me down the aisle.” She admitted quietly. “I was so happy last night and that’s all I could think about. That and not having Mum there to help me with my dress.”

“I could help.” He gave a small smile, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s not just us anymore.”

“It hasn’t been just us for a while, James.” Donna leaned against the railing. “I never thought I would get married. Especially after the disaster with Lance.”

“I never liked him.”

“But you like Jack, yeah?”

He let out a breath, nodding his head. “I know he’ll take care of you when you need him to.”

Donna gave him a smile before hugging him tightly. “Thanks, Little Brother.”

Hugging her back, he chuckled. “You’re welcome, Big Sister.”

They both stayed outside for a few more minutes before Donna was starting to get cold. “Are you coming back inside?”

“Nah, I’ll stay out here for a few more minutes.”

“Don’t go all broody on me.” Donna warned before walking into the house.

The Doctor was outside for twenty more minutes before Rose walked outside with his coat. Walking over to him, she handed it to him. “Donna said if you’re going to be all broody, you should at least be wearing a coat.”

He gave her a smile, taking the coat from her. “Ta.” Instead of putting it on himself, he wrapped it around her shoulders before wrapping his arms around her.

Laughing, she snuggled into his chest. “Not the correct way to put on a coat.”

“I’m fine, I’m not cold.” He leaned his chin on top of her head as he held her.

“Are you okay?” She questioned him, her voice soft.

“I just wish my parents were here is all.”

“I know.” Leaning up, she kissed him quickly. Pulling back, she looked up at him. “You know what we can do for her? Maybe find a picture of them from their wedding day and or something and blow it up to frame it. You can bring that to the wedding and have it on a seat so it’s like they are there.”

He smiled at her, placing a kiss on her nose. “You, Rose Tyler, are brilliant.”

Laughing, she gave him a cheeky grin. “I try.”

“We should go in.”

“Dad put on the fireplace. I snagged us the spot right next to it. We can cuddle for a bit.”

Nodding his head, he let out an exaggerated sigh. “The things I do for you.”

Giggling she moved from his arms before walking into the house, making sure he was behind her. After hanging up their coats, she walked into the living room to sit next to the fire. The Doctor sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her. “Your hands are cold.” She remarked, covering their laps with a blank as she snuggled into his side.

“Sorry.” Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he leaned back against the couch, letting his eyes close.

Rose let him rest his eyes, as she watched her dad play with Tony. Donna was helping Jackie in the kitchen getting everything set up for dinner while Jack was talking to Wilf. Seeing that the Doctor was asleep, Rose left him to rest while she went to help her mother. After assuring Donna that her brother was fine, the rest of their time in the kitchen was spent laughing and listening to Christmas music.

Later, after dinner, they said goodnight to Donna, Jack, and Wilf, promising they would stop by before they left to go back to their flat. They had had a nice time during dinner. When Rose and the Doctor were breaking open their crackers, the Doctor ended up with a pink crown. She took a picture of him wearing it and made it her background on her phone. Rose tucked Tony into his bed that night after reading to him from one of his new books, trying to get him to read along with her. Walking back into her room, she saw the Doctor sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

“So when do I get this mystery present?”

Rose laughed, looking at her watch. “Probably around nine or so.” Kissing his cheek, she walked into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. While Rose was in the bathroom, the Doctor quickly changed as well. Once they were both ready, they went downstairs to watch a movie with her parents. A little after nine, her parents said goodnight to them before they headed up to bed. Rose stood up and held her hand out to him, a smile on her face. “We’ll need shoes and a coat.”

“Where are we going?” He questioned as he stood up, watching as she tugged him over to their coats. With coats and shoes on, the pair went out to the backyard. The Doctor saw Wilf’s telescope set up in the middle of the yard. “Are we looking at stars?”

Rose nodded her head. “Yes. A specific one though.” She handed him a piece of paper with the coordinates of a particular star on it. “Can we look at this one?”

“Sure.” He set the telescope up, finding the coordinates she wanted him to. “Why are we looking at this one?” He questioned, a bit confused.

“Well, I decided you needed your own star.” She bit her lip, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her coat, trying to gauge if he liked it.

“My own…” He trailed off before picking her up in a hug. “Thank you. This is brilliant.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laughed as he spun them around.

Setting her down carefully, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her thoroughly. Breaking the kiss, several minutes later, he leaned his forehead against hers, catching his breath.

Rose giggled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you like it.”

“So what did you name it?”

“The Doctor.”

He let out a whoop before he went back to the telescope.

“There’s a star chart and a certificate. It came with his whole big kit thing. The rest of it as at the flat.”

He turned back to her, cupping her face in his hands. “I love you.”

“I love you.” She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around him.

They stood there like that for a few minutes before Rose started to get cold. The Doctor packed up the telescope and the pair walked back into the house to hang up their coats. They went upstairs into Rose’s room and climbed into the bed, both falling asleep quickly.

A few days after Christmas they were home, laying on the couch together. Rose was being careful of his ribs since they were hurting him a bit that morning. It was Rose’s birthday that day and all she wanted to do was hang around the house. They had seen Mickey and Martha the day before and celebrated a small Christmas with them. He had been asking her all morning if she wanted to go out but she declined, since the past two weeks they had spent going out almost every day with her parents, or going to see Wilf and Donna.

They were snuggled under his blanket, her head against his shoulder as they watched television. “You sure you don’t want to go out?” He questioned, running his hand up and down her arm.

“I’m sure. I just want to stay in. If you want to go out, you can.”

“I’m fine with staying in. Can we at least order takeaway for dinner? I don’t want to burn it if I cook.”

“Yeah, we can.” Shifting a bit on the couch, he let out a wince, which did not go unnoticed by Rose. “Do you want one of the pain relievers?”

“I think so.”

Rose got off the couch and went into the bedroom to get the bottle. Rory and Mickey had been kind enough to help move her dresser into his room the day after they got back, at the Doctor’s insistence. She spent the rest of the day organizing their things together. Handing the bottle to him she watched as he took one of the pills. Putting the bottle on the coffee table, she sat on the edge of the couch, running her fingers through his hair.

“I’m okay.” He promised her, reaching out for her other hand.

Giving him a small smile, she nodded her head. “I know. I just don’t like seeing you in pain.”

When they arrived at her parents’ house for Christmas, Jackie had a _strong_ conversation with him, letting him know he wasn’t allowed to do something like that again to her daughter. “You could kiss it better.” He informed her, a bit hopefully.

Laughing, she shook her head softly. “No chance.” Lifting his head up, she sat down, letting his head rest in her lap.

“I still need to give you your birthday present.”

“I don’t want anything. I just want you better.”

“Roooose.” He whined, grabbing her hand in his. It took about ten minutes for the pain reliever to kick in. Once he was feeling better, he got up off the couch and walked into his experiment room. They had decided that wherever they moved to would have at least two rooms so he could one up as his lab. Rose was trying to push for at least a three bedroom so she could set one up as an office for herself. He walked back out, carrying a giant present. Rose had no idea what it was but if she were being honest, she was a bit worried about what it was. The Doctor sat down next to her, placing the package down so it was across both of their laps. “Happy Birthday.”

She leaned in and they shared a kiss. “Thank you.” Ripping the paper off, the first thing she saw was metal. What in the world could he have gotten her that was metal? Once all the paper was off, she saw it was their names spelled out with all different parts and wires making up the letters of their names, Rose and James. “This is amazing. It’s so beautiful.” Turning to him, she kissed his lips gently. “Is this what you’ve been working on?”

He blushed, nodding his head. “Yeah. That’s why I needed all those parts.”

“Can we hang it in the living room?”

“Anywhere you want to hang it, we can.”

She grinned before running her fingers up and down one of the letters. “You know, if we get a house instead of a flat, we could find a house with a basement so you could use the whole basement as your lab.”

He had been trying to convince her to let them move into a house instead of a flat, but she wouldn’t have the same amount of money to put up, up front for the down payment that he would. “I thought you said you wanted to get a flat until you could save?”

“I would prefer that. But seeing this, seeing what you can do, I don’t want you to ever stop.”

“I can still work in a flat. Even if we stay for a couple years then move. I don’t want you to feel like it’s my house. I want you to feel like it’s our house.”

“Thank you, James.”

Wrapping his arm around her, he kissed her lips. After he hung her present on the wall he lay down on the couch again, getting Rose to lay with him. “Good birthday?” He questioned, closing his eyes.

“Amazing birthday.”


	17. The Next Phase of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martha, Mickey, Rose, and the Doctor graduate from college. Mickey and Martha get married while Rose and the Doctor search for a place to live now that they're back in London. Rose isn't sure where she wants to live and is having trouble deciding between a flat or a house and talks to her dad about it.

Their time after Christmas flew by. They had visited London a few more times and towards the end of April, started looking at different flats in London. During March and April, Rose and the Doctor started to move things to her room at her parents’ house to make the move back up easier. Between leaving school and finding a new flat, they would rent a storage unit to hold most of their stuff. With graduation approaching, Rose was getting a bit nervous about the next stage in their lives. Mickey and the Doctor were going to join Jack on his team at Torchwood while Rose would start at Vitex, in the marketing department. Eventually, she wanted to do marketing for both Torchwood and Vitex, but wanted to start with Vitex. Her ideas had already been pitched to her team and the board and everyone was excited for her to start.

Her parents were excited that she would be staying with them until she and the Doctor found their new flat. The Doctor would be staying with Donna and Jack, not wanting to impose on Jackie and Pete. Donna and Jack had decided to get married when the Doctor returned from his trip, in the beginning of August. Rose would be taking a few days to get settled at home before she started working. She had wanted to start right away, but her parents told her to leave it for a bit. No one was more excited for her return to London than Tony. He was already asking if she could take him to the park, or if they could go see Gramps. Wilf was at the Tylers’ more than he had ever been since Tony met him.

Mickey and Martha’s wedding was in a week and Rose couldn’t be happier for them. She had had her final dress fitting a couple days before graduation, having to go up to London. She left the dress at her parents’ house, not wanting to leave it behind. She had also gone with Martha for her final fitting, having taken the train up with her. Rose’s dress was a lovely chiffon dress with a layered skirt in a poppy color. Martha’s bridesmaid was her sister Trish. Rose had been planning her bachelorette party for the past few weeks, planning a special surprise for Martha at the end.

The day before graduation, the movers had packed up all of the furniture they were keeping and moved it into the storage unit. The rest of the stuff they weren’t keeping had been donated the week before. Her parents had been there to ensure their stuff made it to the unit. Once that had been settled, they drove down along with Wilf, Donna, and Jack the night before graduation. Pete and Jackie had taken everyone out for dinner. During dinner, Rose made her big announcement to everyone. The only person she had told, was the Doctor. But only because she couldn’t keep anything a secret from him.

“I made Valedictorian.” Rose told them, a smile on her face. She knew all the hard work she had done was worth it. Her parents had been so proud of her that her mother started crying. After everyone congratulated her and hugged her, she sat down again, tucked into the Doctor’s side. She almost wanted to wait until the actual ceremony, but had decided against it. With dinner over, she said goodnight to her parents, Donna, Jack, and Wilf. She and the Doctor would be driving over to campus together in the morning. After they were done, they would pack the last few things up in the Doctor’s car and drive up to London with Jack and Donna.

Heading back to their flat for one last night, Rose made sure everything was in the living room that they needed to bring back. It was mostly clothes and their computers so it wouldn’t be too bad. After they changed for bed, the Doctor put up the air mattress so they could sleep in the living room. They had come so far in a year, in four years really. While Rose did a third check, the Doctor lay down on the bed, watching her. He had finally felt better in March, with no residual pain. “Rose?”

Rose stopped walking around the living room and looked over at him. She sat down on the bed, giving him a smile. “Yeah?”

“I just realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“Our anniversary is coming up.”

“Yes, it is. The day before the wedding.”

Reaching over, he took her hand in his, playing with her fingers. “Can I take you out?”

Rose smiled, watching him. “I’d like that. Will flowers be involved?”

“Definitely.”

Getting up from the bed, Rose walked through the rest of the rooms, for a fourth time.

“Rose?”

“Yes, James?” She called from her old room.

“Come lay down. You’re going to get yourself wired up and you won’t be able to sleep.”

With a sigh, Rose made her way back into the living room. Turning the light off, she lay down on the bed, covering herself with the blanket.

The Doctor turned on his side and placed something on her chest, keeping his eyes on her.

“What’s this?”

“A graduation present.”

She bit her lip, picking the box up. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“You deserve it.”

Turning her head, she wrinkled her nose at him.

“Open it, please?”

“If you insist.” Peeling back the paper, she tossed it to the side, revealing a small box. Flipping open the top, she gasped, revealing a ring. One that matched the necklace and earrings he got her.

Clearing his throat, he kept his eyes on her. “It’s a promise ring. I want you to know that no matter what life brings us, I’m always going to be at your side.”

Rose gave him a teary smile, turning to look at him. “It’s beautiful.”

“Will you wear it?”

“Always.” Taking it out of the box, she slipped it on her right hand ring finger. “What made you get this?”

“I found it when we went to the markets last year.”

“You’ve had this the whole time?”

“Yes.” Reaching over, he picked her hand up, kissing the back of it. “We’re going to go far in life, both of us.”

Rose smiled at his words before kissing him. “Better with two?”

“Better with two.”

The next morning, Rose was rushing around trying to get ready for their graduation. Getting the Doctor to zip her dress up, she went back into the bathroom to finish her hair. He wasn’t sure why she was bothering with her hair since she would just have a cap on, but he wouldn’t ask. He knew not to. They had decided to decorate their caps along with the rest of their friends. Hers read ‘The Doctor’s girlfriend’ while his read ‘The Doctor’ along with their initials. When Martha had told her Mickey’s idea, she laughed. Martha’s would read ‘Future Mrs. Smith’ while Mickey’s read ‘Future Mr. Jones’. They decided to meet up with Rory, Amy, Clara, Matt, River, and Joe before Martha and Mickey’s wedding. While River and Joe had graduated a while ago, they would still be along for the celebration.

“Rose? Your parents will be here soon.” The Doctor called out to her from the living room.

Rose walked out of the bathroom after pinning her hat into her hair so it wouldn’t fall off. She slipped on her gown, leaving it open while they waited. “Ta.”

He walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You look beautiful, Love.”

“You’re looking quite handsome yourself.”

They shared a quick kiss, Rose’s hand resting against his chest. Jackie walked in at that moment, camera in hand. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, she took a quick picture, watching as the pair jump apart with the flash. Jackie just gave them a grin. After taking some pictures in the flat, with their neighbor across the way taking a picture of the whole group, they left for the ceremony. Jack and Donna would meet Rose and the Doctor by his car at the end so they could drive back together. Rose had checked for a final time that morning that they had everything.

When they arrived at campus, they met their friends where they had all agreed to meet. After another round of pictures, the graduates stood in their lines, with Rose going to the stage since she would be sitting up on stage. Not that she needed to be reminded of this. It took roughly four hours for the entire ceremony from the first speech, to the closing speech. After Rose finished her speech, all she heard was her family and friends cheering for her as she sat back down. Once the ceremony was over and they were allowed to leave, Rose dashed off stage to meet up with the Doctor. They had agreed to meet over by the auditorium before they returned their gowns. Spotting him, she ran over to him, letting him catch her as she jumped into his arms to hug him. “We did it!” He hugged her tightly, grinning wildly. “We did.”

This was it, this was their last time in the flat that they had shared for over a year. With everything packed in the car, the pair took one last look around, both with content smiles on their faces. Jack had offered to drive them up to London so the Doctor was sitting in the back with Rose, while Donna sat in the front. Donna and Rose chatted about the former’s upcoming wedding. They had decided it would be small. A quick ceremony at the register’s office having the Doctor, Rose, and Wilf with them. They would have a reception later in the day to celebrate with their friends. The only family that would be there would be from Donna’s side and that would be very limited. Jack’s parents had died when he was young and he lost contact with his brother years ago. It wasn’t something he liked to discuss. The Doctor and Rose were able to get a picture of the Doctor and Donna’s parents on their wedding day and they would be giving that to Donna to have at the reception. They also discussed the Doctor’s upcoming trip. While he was excited about it, he didn’t want to leave Rose.

The drive didn’t take long thanks to Jack’s driving and they were pulling up at Rose’s parents’ house. They decided Rose would stay there until he came back and they could start looking at flats together. When he got back, Jack and Donna had offered to put him up until he could find something. While they had been searching online, nothing stuck out to Rose and she didn’t want to settle. Rose got out of the car with the Doctor and grabbed her stuff from the trunk. Donna and Jack got out as well and made their way into the house. Jackie and Pete were hosting a small party for the graduates, including Martha and Mickey.

Rose walked up to the house, carrying her bags of clothes while the Doctor carried her computer and Cuddles. She hadn’t wanted to part with him at all. They climbed the stairs to her room where she put everything. While she still had a little over a week with the Doctor, she would miss him, probably as much as he was going to miss her. Rose walked over to her window and leaned against it, looking outside. She felt the Doctor come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

“When do you start work?” He asked softly, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

“Not until you leave. Dad said I could put it off, but I don’t really want to.”

“I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” She really wished he would stay at the house with her, but he had spent so much time over the last year there, he didn’t want to ask again. He really wished they could have found something before they finished school.

“I’ll Skype every day.” He promised, hugging her middle.

“You better.” She teased, leaning her head against his.

Later they joined the party, surprised that Amy, Rory, Clara, and Matt had decided to come as well. Rory would be entering nursing school while Amy decided she wanted to venture into modeling and if that didn’t work, she would find something else. Midway through the party, she found Amy and Rory talking to her father. The few times he had spoken to Amy, he knew she was someone he needed over at Vitex. Rose wouldn’t be surprised if Amy left that night with a job offer. Clara was going to become a school teacher outside of London, so she would be around more as well. Matt, well, let’s just say Matt hasn’t decided what he wants to do yet. He had mentioned trying out a few things to see what best suited him.

Their friends had stayed until midnight before taking off. Martha and Mickey had found a flat nearby before school finished and were headed back there. Rory and Amy were headed to Rory’s dad’s house and Clara and Matt were headed to her dad’s. Rose and the Doctor cleaned up the backyard once everyone left. It had been a long day for them both and Rose couldn’t wait to go to sleep. Donna, Jack, and Wilf were all waiting to go home so Rose said goodbye to the Doctor. Wrapping her arms around him neck, she kissed him softly. “Mum said you could stay.”

Shaking his head, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Donna’s guest room is fine. I’ll see you tomorrow though, we’ll look at some more places.”

Rose let out a sigh, nodding her head. She was getting a bit tired of looking at places. “Okay. I’ll see you then.”

The Doctor kissed her goodnight before giving her another hug. Letting her go, he walked out of the house and got into his car, driving off.

Rose went back into the house to see her father sitting at the kitchen table. Like her dad, she too couldn’t fall asleep if she was too wired. Her mum had gone up to bed after Rose let her know she would do the cleanup. Going over to the table, she sat down next to her father.

“How is flat hunting going?”

Rose let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head. “It’s not. I know it’s only going to be for two years at most, but nothing is jumping out at me. I don’t want to pick something just for the sake of picking something.”

“Maybe the area you’re looking at is the issue?”

“We’ve changed areas three times now. First we went to directly in the middle between here and Gramps’ and found nothing, so we went to closer here than to Gramps’ and nothing, then we went to closer to Gramps’ and nothing. Then we decided to go more west of here and found nothing. We’re now looking more north. About thirty minutes from here and twenty from Gramps’.”

“Try not to focus on area and just look at the flats themselves. Maybe you’ll see a flat you like and not just because of the area.”

“I guess.”

“Is there something else that’s bothering you?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders a bit, pulling the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands, twisting her fingers together. “When James and I talked about this, he threw out the idea to get a house, not a flat. I panicked a bit since a house is a major commitment, more so than the flat. I sort of shot him down about a house.”

“Then what happened?”

“I told him that if we go in this, I want to go in as equals. He has his half for a down payment and I need to get mine. I told him I wanted to save and asked if we could stay in a flat for a bit until I could save enough. But then he gave me my birthday present and just seeing it, seeing what he can do, I didn’t want to stop him from doing that. I thought more about a house and it just made more sense.” Leaning her head against her father’s shoulder, she let out a frustrated sigh. “If we got a house, he would have more space to create things. I mean he had it at the flat and I’m sure we could find a decent flat with an extra room. But I don’t want him to set everything up then only to move two years later. It’s not fair to him.”

Pete smiled at his daughter, shaking his head. His daughter would always put other’s wellbeing and happiness before her own. “Did you tell him you might want a house?”

“Sort of. He said he can still work in a flat. That he wanted me to feel like it was our house, not his house and he was fine waiting until I could save. He said he’s not even letting me pay rent in the flat because he wants a two bedroom and I wanted a one bedroom! I can’t let him do that.”

Pete rubbed his hand over his face. He would never be able to figure out how his daughter worked. “He wants to take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“He knows that. But he also wants you to feel like the house you buy if your house, one you got together.”

“I know.” She mumbled, tracing the lines in the table with her finger.

Pete rubbed her back gently, trying to hide a smile. “Why don’t you go up to bed? It’s been a long day for you.”

“I should.” Rose paused before hugging her father tightly. “Thanks for everything you did for me. I wouldn’t have gotten here without having you and mum helping.”

Hugging her back he smiled. “Oh poppet. You got here on your own. Your mum and I were just along for the ride.”

Rose laughed softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m lucky that I have you two. I’ll always remember days like today, birthdays, holidays, everything.” Kissing his cheek she stood from her chair. “Night, Daddy.” Rose headed upstairs, going into her room.

He wished he could fix her problems, like all dads want to do for their kids. Maybe he could come up with something. He needed to speak to his wife first.

The rest of the week flew by. Rose had sorted out the stuff that was in her room and ended up bringing some of it over to the storage unit. She knew she would eventually need to get her own car but would wait until after the Doctor got back since he was letting her use his car. With just the stuff she needed daily left in her room, Rose set herself up to look at more flats with the Doctor. They had looked in Mickey and Martha’s building for a flat and while they were nice, Rose hadn’t been crazy about them. She needed to remind herself it would only be for two years.

It was a two nights before Martha and Mickey’s wedding and Rose was hosting her bachelorette party. It had been Martha’s’ close friends, her sister, and a few of her cousins that Rose had invited. They were going to different bars across the city for one last girls’ night as Rose called it. At the last spot, Rose had a special surprise for Martha. She had gotten from the Doctor where he was taking Mickey last and decided to take the girls there so Martha could meet with Mickey. During the four years they had been together, she knew Martha was happiest with Mickey around. When Tish had found out where Rose was taking them, she got into a fight with Rose, tell her that her idea was ridiculous. This is why the Doctor found Rose sitting at the bar sulking.

“Is this seat taken?”

Rose was about to tell him to shove off when she saw who it was. Giving him a small smile, she shook her head. “No.”

“What’s wrong?”

Not wanting to cry again, Rose just shook her head. In the five years she had known Martha, Rose and Tish had never gotten along.

The Doctor rubbed her back soothingly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’ve missed you.”

Since the Doctor decided he was going to stay with Jack and Donna, he hadn’t seen that much of Rose. Only a bit during the day when they were researching. “I’ve missed you too.”

“What’s wrong?” He questioned again, moving his chair closer to hers.

“Tish and I got into an argument. She said my idea of bringing Martha here was ridiculous and that this was supposed to be a night away from Mickey.”

The Doctor shook his head, looking around the bar. Spotting Martha and Mickey dancing close together, he gestured for Rose to look. “I think Tish was jealous. You know Martha better than she does. I’d say this was probably the way she would have planned for the night to end if she had been planning it.”

Rose laughed softly, turning to look at him. “I hope you’re right.”

Martha walked over to them ten minutes later, giving Rose a big hug. “Thanks, Rose. This was the perfect way to end tonight.”

Rose returned her friend’s hug, hearing the Doctor asking Martha to tell her sister that.

“Oh Rose, don’t listen to Tish. She’s just upset I’m getting married first and that I didn’t ask her to be my Maid of Honor. This whole night was amazing.” Martha hugged her friend again before going back out to find Mickey.

The Doctor gave her a smile, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “See?”

“Thanks, James.”

“Care to dance?”

Giggling softly, she nodded her head, letting him lead her out onto the dance floor.

The next night, the Doctor took Rose out to celebrate their anniversary. He had surprised her earlier in the day with two huge bouquets of flowers, which he had delivered to her parents’ house. He picked her up later in the afternoon and they took a drive to an open meadow the Doctor had found a while back and had a picnic. They stayed until it got dark and watched the stars together. When Rose had fallen asleep, he carried her back to the car, only waking her when they got back to her parents’ house.

The day after their anniversary, Martha and Mickey were getting married. She finally convinced the Doctor to stay with her the night before so that they could get ready together. He would be hopeless trying to get his bowtie straight. He helped her zip up her dress before she did her hair and she helped him to get his hair the way he wanted it to. The wedding itself was gorgeous. Martha made such a radiant bride and she couldn’t have been happier for her friends. She knew Martha and Mickey would have such a happy life together. The look on Mickey’s face as he watched Martha walk up the aisle to him would something Rose would always remember.

After speeches were made and the couple shared their first dance, the Doctor took Rose out on the dance floor. She tried to explain to him that if the song was a fast one, they shouldn’t slow dance. He said he didn’t care and this was how he wanted to dance; with her close to him through every song. They took a break and headed back to their table for a bit. They were sitting with her parents, Donna, Jack, Amy, Rory, Clara, and Matt. It had been an interesting table. While the ladies were on the floor dancing, Pete pulled the Doctor to the side. While he wouldn’t normally intervene with his daughter’s life, he wanted to make sure she spoke to the Doctor.

“Did you Rose talk to you about the flat?”

“We haven’t found a flat. Everything we look at, Rose isn’t sold on it. I don’t want her to live somewhere she’s not happy.”

“We spoke about it after graduation.” Pete admitted, looking at the younger man. “She’s not sure now about living in a flat. She mentioned something about the possibility of a house.”

The Doctor nodded his head. “When we decided to do this, I had mentioned getting a house. This way we’re only moving once. I thought she would be okay with it, but she wasn’t. I think it may have scared her.”

“She was a bit at first, but I think she’s settled now. When we spoke, she said she was leaning more towards the house now.”

“Is that why she’s finding fault in every flat we look at?”

“Possibly. She doesn’t want you to give up working on your projects.”

“Like I told her, I can still work in a flat.”

“She doesn’t want you paying full rent though.”

“I told her since I wanted the second bedroom, I would pay it.” The Doctor ran his hand through his hair, a bit frustrated. “I’d rather not be in a flat. I’ve spent the last four years of my life in one. I want a house, with her.”

Pete nodded his head a bit. “I’ll talk to her while you’re gone, see if I can get her to look at houses or at least find a flat she likes in the meantime.”

“Thanks, Pete.” The Doctor gave him a grateful smile.

With the music from the last dance fading out, all of the guests stood by the door to see Martha and Mickey off. They were leaving for their honeymoon that night and would be back in two weeks. After hugging them both and congratulating them once more, she leaned into the Doctor as he wrapped his arm around her. The Doctor would be leaving for his own trip in the morning and would be going back to her parents’ with her.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He told her quietly, wrapping his other arm around her.

“You look quite handsome yourself.” Snuggling into his arms, she leaned her head against his chest, letting out a quite sigh.

When her parents were ready to go, they climbed into the car for the ride home. Rose leaned against the Doctor, ready to fall asleep at any moment. Going out four nights in a row was a lot for her. She promised herself she would go to sleep early the next night to prepare for her first day at work.

When they got back to the house, Rose and the Doctor said goodnight to her parents before going up to her room. Tony had gone to a sleepover at a friend’s house so they didn’t have to worry about waking him up. After Rose washed her face in the bathroom, she came out to ask the Doctor to help with the zipper on her dress. Instead, she saw him standing there with music coming from his phone.

“One more dance?” He questioned, holding his hand out.

“I’d love to.” Slipping her hand into his, she placed her other one on his shoulder as they danced.

“Rose?”

“Hm?”

“While I’m gone, will you think more about the possibility of a house and not a flat?”

Letting out a sigh, she nodded her head. “I will. But if I find a flat, that’s what we’re going with.”

“Deal.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as the song ended. Once they were both in their pajamas, they climbed into bed. Rose lay on her side with the Doctor curled around her, his arm around her waist. Pressing a kiss to her neck, he closed his eyes, listening to her breathing before he too fell asleep.

They woke early the next morning since the Doctor’s flight was at six and they needed to be at the airport by four the latest. Rose wouldn’t be able to go in with him, so she dropped off at the front of the airport. “Be safe, yeah?”

“I will.”

“And you have your passport, computer, phone, clothes, and everything?”

“I have everything.” Giving her a grin, he leaned in, kissing her.

When the broke apart a few minutes later, she blushed. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. I’ll call you when I get there and we’ll Skype tonight.” He was thankful the time differences were going to be minimal.

“I love you.”

“I love you.” With one more kiss, he walked into the airport, looking back only twice to wave to her.

She watched until she could no longer see him. Rose waited a few minutes before she got back into the car and drove back to her parents’. She couldn’t wait to start work tomorrow. To start the next phase in her life.


	18. All of the Bells, Ringing in My Ears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the Doctor is on his trip, Rose helps Donna get things together for her wedding while she settles into her new job and tries to find a place to live. With too many to pick from, she gets frustrated and the Doctor tells her to hold off on looking until he gets back. After he gets back, he decided he'll look himself and surprises her with his findings.

While the Doctor was gone, Rose spent most of her time settling into work. Everyone on her team was great and no one thought less of her for just getting out of school or for being Pete’s daughter, which squashed her fears. Every night when she got home, she would talk to the Doctor on Skype. He would ask about her day and she would ask him about his travels. On the weekends she hunted for a flat for them to move into. While she had told the Doctor she would look at houses, she was using that as a last resort. During the second weekend of her looking, her parents sat her down to discuss the situation.

Pete knew her reasoning behind wanting to stay in a flat as opposed to a house, but he couldn’t understand why. “Have you found anything?”

“No. I don’t want to keep going more north because then we’ll be too far from everyone.”

“Have you checked out any houses?”

“No.”

Jackie placed her hand over her daughter’s, giving it a light squeeze. “Maybe you should.”

“James and I agreed that we wanted to live in a flat for two years before we bought a house. I need time to save so we can go into the house together.”

“Rose, sweetheart, he doesn’t care about that.”

“I care about that.”

Pete and Jackie shared a look before Pete turned back to Rose. “Poppet, your mum and I were talking and we would like to help you with the down payment.”

“No, absolutely not. You’ve helped me enough with school and the flat this past year. I want to do this by myself.” Rose got up from the table and went up to her room. While she appreciated her parents’ offer, this was something she wanted to do on her own. When the Doctor tried to call her that night, she had been too upset to talk to him so she declined the call. She ended up staying up late into the night looking at flats. She went back to one that she had passed on originally and sent it in an email to the Doctor around three in the morning.

Apparently he was on since she got an email back from him a minute later.

_Is everything okay? You missed our call._

_I got into a disagreement with my parents, didn’t feel like talking._

_Do you want to talk now?_

_You should be asleep._

_So should you. You shouldn’t be looking at flats at three in the morning._

_Did you like that one?_

_I thought you were going to look at houses?_

_I haven’t found anything. Maybe we should put off looking for something._

After that email, the Doctor tried to call her again on Skype. Not wanting to cause an even bigger argument she put her headphones in and accepted the call.

 “Hi.”

“Hi.” He gave her a small smile. “Do you not want to move in together?”

“I do. It’s just, I haven’t found a flat I like. How am I supposed to find a house?”

“Finding a house might come easier.”

“Mum and Dad offered to help me with the down payment.”

The Doctor sucked in a breath, running a hand through his hair. This must have been what the disagreement had been about. “What did you say?”

“I told them no. I want to do this by myself.”

He didn’t want to upset her, being so far from her. “I understand. Why don’t you hold off on looking until I get back? We’ll look together.”

Rose nodded her head, leaning back against her pillows. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too. Can I have one smile? I haven’t seen your smile all day.”

Giggling quietly, she gave him a smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Why don’t you get some sleep and we’ll talk later?”

“I will. Sleep well.”

“Sweet dreams, Rose.”

After they ended their call, Rose put her computer away before tucking herself into bed. The next day she made up with her parents and apologized for walking away. She admitted that the whole process was frustrating to her and she was just ready to give up and let the Doctor find them a place. Rose spent the rest of her Sunday curled up on the couch with her mum watching random movies on television. She couldn’t wait for the Doctor to get back from his trip.

During the next two weeks, Rose met with Donna to help her pick out a dress for her wedding. While they were not having an actual ceremony, she still wanted a dress. Jack had given Rose his credit card and told her to make sure Donna picked out whatever dress she wanted. After Donna picked out her dress, they found one for Rose to wear. Jack would be going with the Doctor and Wilf when the Doctor got back to pick out tuxes.

She had met up with Martha and Mickey a couple times after they came back from their trip and ended up having a girls’ night one Thursday with everyone, staying over at Martha’s flat. It probably wasn’t a good idea to stay up late when one had to go to work early the next morning but it had been worth it. Martha would be starting medical school soon and Rose knew she wouldn’t be able to see much of her once that started.

The morning that the Doctor came back from the trip, Rose went to go pick him up from the airport. She waited down in the baggage claim for him, trying to spot him. They hadn’t been able to talk on Skype the day before since he was getting ready to leave and needed to pack and Rose missed him. Once she spotted him, she ran over to him and tackled him with a hug.

The Doctor wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his face into her neck, breathing in her scent. While he didn’t want to let her go, he wanted to collect his bags and get over to Donna and Jack’s. Keeping one arm around her, he pulled his bags out from the belt and walked with her over to the car. Once his stuff was in the car, he wrapped his arms around her again, hugging her tightly.

Rose hugged him just as tightly, pressing small kisses to his cheek. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” He pulled back so he could see her face. “A month is too long.”

“Yes, it is.” Blushing she leaned up, so he could kiss her.

Not one to deny Rose what she wanted, he kissed her gently at first before letting himself show her how much he missed her. Eventually he knew he had to pull away from her lips to give them both some time to breathe. Pushing some hair from her face, he opened the car door for her to get in before he went around to the driver’s side. As he drove over to his sister’s, he kept her hand firmly in his own. He listened to her talk about everything she did at work the day before. He had been happy for her that she fit in and was making friends.

Once they got to Donna’s, the Doctor parked the car and they walked into the house with his bags. He would be staying in the guest room for the time being. As they walked into the house, Donna and Jack greeted them before letting the Doctor get settled. Rose walked into the room with him and helped him to unpack.

“I got you something.” He handed her a wrapped box and placed another bag down beside her on the bed.

“You didn’t have to.” Sitting down on the bed, she opened the box carefully. Pulling open the flap, she grinned, seeing a beautiful glass vase that was made up of so many different colors. “Where did you find this?”

“Actually, I made it when I was in Venice.” He admitted sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

“This is beautiful. Thank you.” She closed the box up again before standing to wrap her arms around his neck.

He shrugged his shoulders a bit, wrapping his arms around her waist. He held her for a few minutes before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “There’s one more.” He reached behind them and handed her a bag. “This I got in Dublin.”

Rose gave him a smile and reached into the bag, pulling out a small stuffed lion. Laughing softly, she wrapped her arm around his waist, hugging him. “Didn’t want to try for one the size of Cuddles?”

“I never would have gotten it on the plane.”

“He’s perfect though, thank you.” She sat down on the bed again, laying the lion against his pillow. After the Doctor was finished unpacking, he started his laundry before joining everyone in the living room. He spent some time talking with his sister after he gave her and Jack the gifts he brought back for them. As it was getting late, Rose said she should get going. Donna offered for her to stay if she wanted and the Doctor encouraged her to stay. She agreed to stay and sent a text to her mum, letting her know. The Doctor and Rose opted to turn in early, since he was exhausted from his trip. After saying goodnight to Donna and Jack, they went up into the guest room to get ready for bed.

“James?”

“Yeah?” He asked as he pulled some pajamas out from the dresser.

“Do you have something I could wear?”

“I should.” He dug around and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, handing that to her.

Rose gave him a smile before heading into the bathroom to change. While she was in the bathroom, the Doctor changed into his pajamas before getting into the bed. Rose walked in a few minutes later and crept over to the bed before slipping in next to him. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders while she curled into his chest, her head resting over his heart.

“Do you want to look at flats tomorrow?” She questioned softly, letting her eyes close.

“We should let it stay for a couple weeks. At least until after Donna and Jack’s wedding. I think you need a break from searching.”

Rose nodded her head, moving a bit so her head was leaning against his shoulder.

“I’ll ask Donna and maybe you can stay here with me while they’re gone.”

“I’d like that.”

Running his fingers gently through her hair, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry that we’re having a hard time finding something.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m just too picky.”

“No, you’re not. Let me take a look and see what I can find. If it’s something I think you’ll like I’ll show you.”

“I trust you.”

Kissing her lips gently, they both settled in for the night, falling asleep quickly.

Over the next two weeks the Doctor settled in at his new job. He enjoyed working on the same team as Jack and Mickey. They had two other members of the team, Gwen and Ianto. Jack had been working with them since he started at Torchwood. Since Rose didn’t have a car, the Doctor would pick her up and he would drop her off at Vitex before driving over to Torchwood. The offices were only a few blocks away from each other, so the commute made sense. Now that he was back, Rose was more at ease than she had been.

It was the day of Jack and Donna’s wedding and Rose was at her parents’ house getting ready. The Doctor would be picking her up and together they would go pick Wilf up before meeting Jack and Donna at the register’s office. Their present to them was in the backseat so they could give it to them after the ceremony. Donna had agreed to Rose staying with the Doctor while they were gone so she would be heading over there after the reception. While Rose had given up searching for a place for them, the Doctor hadn’t. He had found a house that he knew she would love and planned on taking her over there. What he wouldn’t tell her was that an offer had been put in on the house already. If she hated it, well, they could always rescind the offer.

While they were at the register’s office, the Doctor had his arm around her while she chatted with Wilf. When Wilf went to go sit, Rose turned her head to look at the Doctor. “You look quite handsome today, by the way.” Reaching up, he fixed his bowtie for him.

Grinning he took her hand, spinning her out a bit before bringing her back into his side. “You look quite beautiful yourself.”

Rose gave him a bright smile, leaning her head against his shoulder. It wasn’t long before Donna and Jack arrived. Jack walked to the front with the Doctor while Rose hung back with Donna and Wilf. While they weren’t having a formal wedding, she still wanted Wilf to walk her down the aisle. Rose walked up to the front, winking at the Doctor before going off to the other side to act as Donna’s witness. After the ceremony, Rose hugged both Donna and Jack, a wide smile on her face. “Congratulations!”

The Doctor hugged his sister while Rose spoke with Jack. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Nodding her head over to Rose she smiled. “You two next?”

The Doctor’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “We haven’t broached that subject yet. As much as I would like to, I’m not sure how she feels.”

“If you asked her, she would say yes.” Donna told him quickly, a smile on her face as Jack and Rose walked back over to them.

Rose handed Donna and Jack their present before standing by the Doctor who still hadn’t moved after hearing Donna’s statement. Slipping her hand into his, she gave him a smile before watching as Donna and Jack opened their present. When Donna gasped, the Doctor snapped out of his stupor, to watch his sister.

“Oh, Spaceman, Rose, this is amazing. Thank you, both.” Donna handed Jack the picture before hugging her brother and her friend, tears in her eyes.

“You’re welcome.” They hugged her back gently before letting Donna and Jack speak to Wilf. Rose and the Doctor wandered over towards his car, Rose swinging their joined hands back and forth.

“Donna makes a beautiful bride.”

“That she does.” The Doctor leaned against his car, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Jack makes a very handsome groom too.” She teased, standing in front of him.

“Oi.” Placing his hands on her hips, he pulled her a bit closer.

Her smile widened as she watched him. “Not as handsome as you of course.”

“Do you ever think about getting married?”

“Sometimes. It has to be with the right person. Not just the person I can’t live without but the person that I can live with. Someone that can accept me, flaws and all. One that’ll be there during my ups and downs.”

Smiling, he rubbed his thumb over her hip. “Sounds like you have very specific guidelines.”

“Mm. I need to make sure he’s the right person. What about you, have you thought about it?”

“A few times.”

“Well, what are you looking for in a partner?”

“Someone that gets me, can accept that sometimes I don’t want to sleep and that I tend to lock myself in my lab for a few days until I work through something. Will always be there for me, no matter what.”

Rose gave him a grin, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Sounds like you have very specific guidelines as well.”

“High expectations, me.”

Rose just shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. When Wilf came over, they got into the car and drove over to the hall that Donna and Jack were having the reception. Her parents and Tony would be meeting them there as would Mickey and Martha. As soon as Tony spotted Wilf, he insisted on sitting next to him so they could talk. While they were eating lunch, Rose leaned over to whisper to the Doctor. “Thanks for sharing Gramps with Tony.”

He smiled at her, giving her a quick kiss, his voice low. “I think he’s good for Gramps. Plus Gramps adores him.”

Once lunch was finished and Donna and Jack shared their first dance, the Doctor pulled Rose out to the floor for a dance. Keeping her close, he leaned his head down towards hers. “I want to take you somewhere tomorrow.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. We’ll need to leave by ten.”

Rose quirked her eyebrow, giving him an amused smile. “I can be ready by then. You sure you don’t want to tell me?”

He nodded his head quickly before dipping her gently and pulling her back up to him. He smiled, hearing her infectious laughter as they continued their dance. Once the song was over, the Doctor felt Jack tapping him on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”

The Doctor hesitated briefly before nodding his head. “Go ahead. I’ll find Donna and dance with her.”

Rose smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently before he left. Rose turned to Jack, seeing him bow before picking her hand up. With her other hand on his shoulder they started to dance. “So how is married life treating you?”

“Considering it’s only be a few hours, I’d have to say not bad.” He glanced over at his wife who was dancing with her brother.

“She looks so happy, you both do.”

“Thanks. Donna, she’s incredible. I’m very lucky.”

“I think you both are. You better take care of her.”

“I will.” He promised, giving her a grin. “So Rosie, have you and the Doc talked about marriage?”

“We did a bit this morning.”

“Are you two next then?”

“Leave it, Jack.” She warned, giving him a stern look.

“Alright, I’ll back off. I’m sorry.”

Rose let out a sigh, shaking her head. “I’m sorry too. We’ve never spoke about it before today. I do want to marry him, I just don’t know if he wants to.”

“If he brought it up, I think he does. That’s what I did with Donna.”

Rose gave him a smile, nodding her head. “Thanks, Jack.”

While Rose and Jack were dancing, the Doctor was dancing with Donna. He kept turning his head to look at Rose to which Donna laughed. “She’s fine with Jack. Leave them be.”

Giving her a sheepish look he nodded his head. “I know.” He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. “I’m happy for you and Jack. I know I gave you two issues in the beginning, but I really am happy for you.”

Donna gave him a soft smile, her heart swelling with pride for her brother. “Thank you. He won’t hurt me, at least not on purpose. He knows if he ever did, not only would you be after him but Pete too.”

The Doctor chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “As long as he knows.”

“So how is the flat hunting going?” While she liked having her brother around, she also knew he was getting antsy not being around Rose as much as he had been.

“We’re going to look at a house tomorrow.”

“Rose found one?”

“No. She doesn’t know we’re going. I’m surprising her.”

Donna smirked, letting out a small laugh. “Let me know how that goes.”

“It’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat a bit. “I really appreciate you letting me crash with you and Jack and for letting Rose stay while you’re gone.”

“It’s no problem. You’re family.” Donna gave him a smile, squeezing his shoulder gently. “Thank you, for the picture. It’s lovely.”

“That was Rose’s idea actually. Aunt Sylvia had the pictures. She gave me the rest of them too. I have a few bins full. I thought we could go through them together when you get back?”

“I’d like that.”

The Doctor heard Rose’s laughter and turned his head, seeing Jack was telling her something.

“Go.” She gestured for him to go over to Rose.

Kissing her cheek gently, he walked over to Rose, pulling her into his arms as Jack walked back over to Donna.

“So how much longer do you think it’ll be before he proposes?” Jack questioned, wrapping his arms around his wife as he pulled her into a dance.

“Probably a few months. Not until they have somewhere to live.”

“I guess theirs will be the next wedding.” Jack mused a grin on his face while Donna poked him in the arm, shaking her head.

After they said goodbye to Donna and Jack, the guests went on their way. Rose said goodbye to her parents, Tony, Mickey, and Martha before she and the Doctor drove Wilf home. Once he was inside, Rose and the Doctor made their way over to Donna and Jack’s to settle in. The reception had been an early one, so they were home by three. After changing into comfortable clothes, the Doctor stretched out on the couch, waiting for Rose to come down. He turned the television on and flipped through the channels, trying to find something.

Rose walked down the stairs, going into the living room. “How do you even know what’s on? You’re going through the channels quickly.”

He shot her a grin before patting the small space on the couch he saved for her.

Rose pressed a kiss to his cheek before climbing onto the couch. It was small so she would need to lay partially on him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she lay her arm across his chest to get comfortable. “No more parties for a while, yeah?”

“Tired?” He found a random television program for them to watch before he put the remote down. Wrapping his arms around her, he rubbed her back soothingly.

“A bit, yeah.”

“We have the rest of the weekend to rest. I’ll even give you a massage.” Kissing her forehead, he ran his hand gently up her side. “You’re wearing my shirt.”

“Mm. Smells like you.” Letting out a yawn, she nuzzled her nose against his neck.

“Try not to fall asleep. You won’t sleep tonight.”

With her eyes closed, she scowled at him, using her finger to poke him in the side. Even if he was right.

Taking her hand, he held it close to his chest, trying to keep her fingers from poking him again. “Donna liked the photograph we gave them. I told her about the others and when she comes back, we’ll look through them together.”

“We should bring them over here then before they get back. They’re still in my room. How was she with your Aunt and Uncle not coming?”

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head. It was still a sore spot for him and his sister. They hadn’t supported the marriage and even when he went over there to get the pictures, their Aunt hadn’t budged. He knew his Uncle wanted to be there but knew he wouldn’t go against his wife. “Donna said she was okay. I think she missed her but I think her day was better since she wasn’t there to cause an argument.”

“I’m sorry.” Pressing a kiss to his temple, she nuzzled her nose against his cheek.

He turned his head, kissing her gently. Picking her hand up, he laced their fingers together.

Rose looked at him, a sad smile on her lips. While she would never know what it was like to truly lose a parent at a young age, she had been his friend while he dealt with it. Now that she was older, it always pained her to see him like this. He had gone through so much, him and Donna both. But they got through it.

“I thought of something else I want to add to my list. You know, what we talked about this morning.”

Rose nodded her head, running her fingers through his hair. “What’s that?”

“She has to be you.”

Rose’s only response was to blush.

They lay on the couch for another hour before getting up to eat a light supper. The Doctor sent Rose upstairs to get into bed while he cleaned up. Before he went upstairs, he locked the door, and turned out the lights. Going up to the guestroom he saw Rose sitting up in the bed. “I thought you were going to lay down.”

“I wanted to wait for you.”

Turning off the overhead light, he climbed into the bed as she laid down. Lying beside her, he felt her move so her back was to his chest. “When we get our own place, every Sunday we’re going to stay in bed as late as possible.”

Giggling softly, she turned her a bit to see him. “You usually want to go out and not stay in.”

“Think of all the cuddling, Rose!” Rose’s laughter continued as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing a kiss to the back of her neck, he held her close.

“That does sound like the perfect Sunday.”

“Now you’re getting it!”

When Rose let out a yawn, the Doctor suggested they both got some sleep. Nodding her head, Rose closed her eyes, laying her head against his arm as they both fell asleep.

The Doctor woke first the next morning, seeing that it was half eight. Slipping out of the bed he took a shower, getting ready for the day. Once he was dressed, he woke Rose up gently. After she headed into the shower, he went downstairs and made them breakfast. While he couldn’t cook much, the one thing he knew how to make without burning it was eggs. He was plating their food when Rose came down the stairs. Kissing her good morning, he brought their plates to the table so they could eat.

He was nervous about showing Rose the house. He really wanted her to like it. It had everything they were looking for. A basement for him, a bedroom that could be used as an office for her, and four other bedrooms. It had a huge backyard, where he was hoping they could set up a telescope. Once breakfast was done, Rose cleaned the dishes before they set off. As they drove, she tried getting him to tell her where they were going.

“Nope.”

“Please?” She pouted, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Not going to work.” He grinned, taking her free hand in his. About twenty minutes later he pulled up to the house. It was about half an hour from her parents and Wilf so they would still be close to both. The agent would be meeting them by eleven so he wanted to show Rose the whole house before the agent showed up.

Rose looked out the window, trying to figure out where they were. Getting out of the car, she waited for him to come over to her before walking up the driveway with him. “Whose house is this?”

“Let’s take a look around, yeah?”

Rose nodded her head, slipping her hand into his. It was a beautiful house on the outside, she couldn’t wait to see what it looked like inside. As they walked in, Rose saw there was a staircase in the middle which led to the upstairs. On one side was the living room and the other was a dining room. As they walked around downstairs, Rose found a door which led to the basement. Next to the door was a little nook that had a bench built in. The next room she saw was the kitchen. In the middle was a small island which had open shelves on the bottom and it had enough room that you could put stools on either side. On one side of the room was a long counter with several cabinets above it and below it. The other side held the stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator. It also had additional counter space with a sink built in, cabinets below the counter as well. Leaving the kitchen, they went to the downstairs bedroom, which had one window in the middle of one of the walls and a double closet on the end of the other wall. They checked out the downstairs bathroom which was on the same wall as the entry to the living room.

“Do you want to look upstairs?” He questioned, a smile on his face.

“Yes.” She returned his smile, giving his hand a squeeze.

As they walked upstairs, Rose ran her hand along the banister. They stopped in the first bedroom, which appeared to Rose to be the master bedroom along with the master bathroom. Both the downstairs and upstairs had beautiful hardwood floors, which Rose took an immediate liking to. After they left the master bedroom, they checked the other three rooms. The other bathroom on this floor was in the middle of the hallway. Two bedrooms were on the opposite wall of the master bedroom and the third was a bit farther down the hall. They were similar in size to the bedroom downstairs. Rose and the Doctor walked downstairs and headed out to the backyard. When they walked out onto the back porch, Rose grinned, already in love with the backyard. She stepped down with him and walked to the middle of the backyard.

“James?”

“Yes?”

“Whose house is this? I don’t fancy getting arrested for trespassing.”

The Doctor laughed, shaking his head. “We won’t get arrested. And as far as whose house this is. Well, I’m hoping it could be our house. If you would like.”

Rose turned around so her back was to him as she looked at the back of the house. “It is beautiful. It has everything we were looking for. But isn’t it a bit big for two people?”

“Well, I figured we could stay here for a while. Grow into it.”

Rose turned around, eyeing him. “Grow into it how?”

“Well, you know, have a family and everything.”

“James, I love this house, but I can’t right now. I don’t have the money for a deposit.”

“Well, your parents are giving that to us as a wedding present.”

“Wedding present? What are you on?”

“Rose, everything you asked me yesterday about what I’m looking for in a partner is you. And everything you’re looking for, I can be that.”

“You already are.” She interrupted him with a smile.

“See!” He grinned before digging into his pocket, pulling out a small box. “I know we’ve only been together a short time, but I realized a while ago that you’re who I want beside me for the rest of my life.” He got down on one knee and held the box open, giving her a smile. “Rose Tyler – “

“Yes!” She laughed, hiding her face in her hands, realizing he didn’t quite get out what he wanted to say.

The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head. Leave it to his Rose to be impatient. Taking the ring out of the box, he slid it on her finger before putting the box away and standing up. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her slowly, feeling their lips move together. Several minutes later he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. “I love you, Rose Tyler.”

“I love you, James Noble.” She gave him a bright smile, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.

He picked her up from the ground and spun her around. Placing her down he took her hand in his and they walked to the front of the house. The agent met them in the living room where she let them know that their offer had been accepted. After signing the paperwork, Rose and the Doctor headed back to Donna’s where they called Jackie and Pete to tell them the good news, both pieces. They opted to wait until tomorrow to tell their friends and just spent the rest of the day together, Rose spending quite a bit of time looking at her ring. They were getting married!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kind reviews on this story. We're almost at the end!


	19. Together Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor spend the months leading up to their wedding planning and moving house. Both Jackie and Donna have surprises for their families.

Telling everyone they were getting married was the fun part. The not so fun part? Actually planning the wedding. While her mother tried to help Rose, they clashed on everything. Rose wanted blue as her color, her mother said green would be better. Rose wanted a long dress, her mother kept showing her pictures of short dresses. When she asked him, the Doctor said that they couldn’t elope. Rose wouldn’t kiss him for a week after that. Her father tried to intervene, but it wouldn’t work. Rose ended up enlisting Donna’s help with the planning and things calmed down a bit after that.

Four months after their engagement, Rose and the Doctor were finally able to move into the new house. The ended up selling most of the furniture they had in storage and purchased new things. The one new item she had grudgingly allowed the Doctor to get was a king size bed. She wasn’t sure what the need for it was, but he had insisted. He had his lab set up and they had one of his old couches down there for when he took a break or she wanted to spend time with him while he was working. Her office had been set up for her, thanks to her parents, Donna, and Jack. They had bookcases put up, a beautiful desk, and pictures hung on the wall. She had some chairs set up in there as well if someone stopped in to see her. They were both quite happy with the way the house turned out. They made one of the bedrooms upstairs into a guestroom opting to leave the other two open, for now.

That year they hosted Christmas at their house, with their first Christmas tree displayed in the front window. They had decided to get married in April and were hoping for a rain free day. Rose had wanted both Martha and Donna to stand up with her so she asked them both to be her Matrons of Honor. She had also asked Amy to be her bridesmaid. The Doctor had asked both Jack and Mickey to be Best Man while Rory would the groomsman. They both decided they wanted Tony to be the Ring Bearer and he was excited that he got to go to another wedding, nothing else.

After the excitement of their engagement had wined down, Rose spoke to her parents, thanking them for their gift. While she understood why they did it, she was a bit upset neither of them discussed it with her beforehand. They had only discussed it with the Doctor when he came to ask for Pete’s permission and had planned on telling them both at the same time, but saw this as a better idea. Rose had wanted to pay her parents back but they refused. They both argued that they had done the same thing for Tony, set up an account for him and were going to do so for the new baby. Yes, Jackie Tyler was pregnant again and Rose was excited she was going to have another sibling. Even if there was a twenty-three year gap between them. She was only a few months along and wouldn’t be able to know what they were having for another month or so.

During Christmas, Donna and Jack had announced they were pregnant. Rose congratulated them and teased them that they needed to stop making the big announcements at Christmas time. Wilf had been excited since this meant he would be a great-grandfather. A whole new generation to show the stars to. Since they moved into the house, Rose and the Doctor had Wilf over for dinner at least once a week. He had made some new friends in the building where he lived and wasn’t able to make it every week, but he tried.

It was the middle of January and Rose was at her parents’ house going over all of the details for the wedding. They had a hall booked for the reception and had decided to get married in the park near the hall. They both agreed they wanted to get married outside. She had had her first fitting for her wedding dress that morning and both Jackie and Donna had gone with her. It had taken her a really long time to decide on a wedding dress. She wanted one that would make him speechless. After six stores and twenty dresses, she finally found her dress. It was a simple strapless empire waist dress with a beaded bodice and an a-line skirt. While it had appeared to be plain, Rose fell in love with it.

Rose had finished all of the invitations that needed to be sent out and handed them to her mother, who promised to mail them for her in the morning. Hopefully this meant she would be finished for a few weeks and could spend more time with the Doctor. He had gone with her to pick out the hall, the invitations, the band, the photographer, and the caterer. She went with her mother to pick out the flowers, her dress, the bridesmaids dresses, and the wedding favors. Some of which she had really wanted to do with the Doctor. The only thing they really needed to do was the seating chart and finalize their song list for the wedding. These things she wanted to do with the Doctor, alone. After saying goodbye to her parents and Tony, she drove over to the house. She had finally caved and got her own car. They still drove into work together, as long as their schedules aligned.

Walking into the house, Rose kicked her shoes off and hung her coat up next to his. She walked into the house and headed into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. As she was reaching up for the tea bags, she felt the Doctor come up behind her and get the box down for her. “Ta.” She placed the box down on the counter, kissing his cheek. “Want a cup?”

“Please.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder. “How did it go?”

Rose let out a groan, shaking her head. “The fitting was fine. Mum was complaining that the dress was too plain, again. I love the dress, Donna even said I look lovely in it. I told her it didn’t make sense to have one of those fancy dresses since the actual wedding ceremony was going to be outside.” Hearing the kettle go off, she poured out two cups of water, dropping a tea bag into each. “She’s sending out the invitations tomorrow. I didn’t even know that’s what she had on the schedule for me to do today. Every time I go over there, it’s something new.”

Placing his hands over hers, he gently moved her around so she could face him. Ever since they set the date in October, her mother had set a tight schedule to get things done. He knew Rose would have been fine doing things on her own, but Jackie wouldn’t have it. Leaning in, he kissed her lips gently, running his hands up and down her arms. “I, for one, cannot wait to see you in your dress. Doesn’t matter what you wear to me. I know you’re going to look breathtaking. Everything else is planned. There isn’t much left to do.”

Rose nodded her head, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He was always the calm she needed no matter what was going on. “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for.” Tucking some of her hair behind her ear he gave her a smile. “Next time when you suggest something, I will go with it.”

Rose laughed softly, giving him a smile.

“That’s better. Why don’t you go change and we can relax in the living room? I’ll start a fire in the fireplace and we can watch some television.” It was already four in the afternoon and he hadn’t seen his fiancé all day since she left before he woke up that morning.

“Sounds good.” With a quick kiss, Rose walked upstairs to their room to get changed. She donned one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts before washing her face free of makeup. Heading back downstairs with some pillows, she grabbed their favorite blanket from the couch and sat on the floor while he got the fire going.

Walking over to where she was sitting, he grabbed the remote and sat next to her, handing her one of the mugs he brought in from the kitchen. “You won’t be cold?”

Rose took the mug from him and placed it down next to her on the floor. “No, I’ll make you keep me warm.” She shot him a grin as she lay the pillows down and pulled the blanket over herself.

The Doctor found some comedy playing and selected that for them to watch. Laying down next to her, he slipped under the blanket.

“Can we not do anything tomorrow?” She questioned softly, moving closer to him.

“We can turn off our phones and hide in the house. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll snow and no one will want to drive over here.”

Rose let out a quiet laugh. “If it snows, we’ll need to keep our phones on, in case someone tries to call to see if we’re okay.”

“You have a point.” He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her. They spent the rest of the weekend hanging around the house and working on what songs they wanted to play for the wedding. It had been fun for them since their taste in music had always been completely opposite of each other’s.

With one month left to the wedding, the Doctor and Rose still needed to pick out a cake and Rose still needed to get shoes. They had decided to go to the bakery that morning and he would go with her to pick out shoes. She had teased him mercilessly about volunteering to go with her but was ecstatic that he was going with her. They had an appointment for eleven that morning and then would be heading to the mall. After her shower that morning, she made her way downstairs to see where he was. Finding him in the kitchen eating breakfast she leaned against the doorframe, watching him. In a month, she would be Mrs. James Noble.

It never occurred to her when she was a teenager and had a crush on him that she would ever be in the spot she was now. She thought back to their summers together when they were teenagers, either hanging around her mum’s flat, or walking around the park. At some point it had all changed and they stopped hanging out all the time and he would spend time with Mickey or some of the other guys. She still saw him, but it wasn’t the same. But once she had turned seventeen and started seeing Jimmy, he was back around. He had been leery of Jimmy when Rose had started seeing him but never said anything. After everything that went down with Jimmy, the Doctor hadn’t been far away from her. He eventually met Joan and started spending less time with Rose again. She had been happy for him and Joan was a nice girl but she had missed her best mate.

Rose was thrown from her thoughts when she felt a hand stroking her cheek. Blinking her eyes, she focused on the Doctor, a small smile on her face. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Frowning he ran his finger over her bottom lip, tugging it from her teeth. She hadn’t even realized she was biting it. “I was asking if you wanted to go. Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine. I was just thinking about stuff.”

“Like what?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders, crossing her arms across her chest. “About when we were teenagers.”

“Jimmy?”

Rose nodded her head, averting her gaze so she wasn’t looking at him. It wasn’t that she thought things would end up like Jimmy, she knew that would never happen. She was just afraid he would get bored or whatever it was that had kept him away from her at those different points in their teenage years.

“Rose.” He voice was soft as he slipped his fingers under her chin to turn her face towards his. “I’m not Jimmy. I will never be him. I know he hurt you, physically and emotionally, but I will never do that.”

“It’s not just Jimmy. I know you’d never do the things Jimmy did to me. I know that’s not you.” She looked up at him, taking a breath. “I never understood why you would ignore me for months only to come back and act like nothing had happened. But then everything with Jimmy happened and you wouldn’t let me out of your site. Until you met Joan. Then you only saw me when she was busy, or you two had a row. I just don’t want that to happen now.”

“Oh Rose. That won’t happen. I swear.” Taking her hand into his, he pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I fancied you and you know how I am. I didn’t know how to be around you so I ran. I knew I hadn’t been fair to you so I would try to be around more but it never worked out. But then Jimmy happened and I blamed myself for not being around. I didn’t want that to happen again. And then with Joan, well, she knew I fancied you so she didn’t want me around you as much.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

“What happened with Jimmy wasn’t your fault, James.” She told him, her voice low. “I never blamed you. I was in a bad spot and Jimmy said all the right things I had wanted to hear at the time and I fell for it. But I don’t want you to blame yourself for that ever.”

Using the hand he was holding to pull her forward, he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “I won’t. But you shouldn’t blame yourself either. Jimmy is at fault.” When Jimmy had been arrested for drug trafficking and was put away for life, it had been a good day for them both.

Giving him an adoring smile, she brushed her lips against his gently. “So you avoided me because you fancied me?”

A blush spread across his face as he ducked his head. “Wellll. Yes. I did. What was I supposed to do?”

“Ask me out?” She supplied, less than helpfully.

“Too simple.” He brushed her suggestion off, giving her a cheeky grin.

Shaking her head, she tried to hide her smile. “After today, no more talking about Jimmy or what could have happened, yeah? We got to where we were meant to be and that’s all that matters.”

The Doctor nodded his head, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Deal.”

“We should get going. We have to be there soon.” Tilting her head up, she puckered her lips for a kiss.

Leaning down, he kissed her lips, bringing her body closer to his. Releasing her a few minutes later, they grabbed their coats and left the house to go to the bakery.

As they sat, sampling the cakes, Rose watched him, trying to gauge which one was his favorite. “You keep going back and forth between the banana with the chocolate mousse filling and the chocolate peanut butter cake.”

“I like them both.” He told her through a mouthful of cake.

Smiling softly, she handed him a napkin to wipe his face with to which he just kissed her lips, getting the icing on her lips instead. Laughing, she licked her lips, shaking her head.

“Which one do you want?”

“I sort of like them both. I wouldn’t mind the banana one though.”

“We could get both.” He suggested, feeding her a piece of the cake.

“Mm.” Licking her lips, she nodded her head as she ate the cake. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“We’re only getting married once.” He reminded her, wiping a bit of icing off of her lips.

“Alright, we can get both.”

Once the cake was settled and the deposit made, they made their way out of the bakery and headed towards the car. “Did you send in the checks yesterday to the hall, caterer, florist, and the band?” She questioned, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Yeah. Everything should be set now until the wedding.”

“Only one more month.”

“I can’t wait.”

They got into the car and the Doctor drove them over to the mall. Once they found a spot, they walked in and just walked around the mall until Rose decided which store she wanted to go into. She wasn’t keen on wearing high heels, but knew she had to. When they walked into the store, Rose let out a small sigh as she looked at the shoes. “They all look so uncomfortable.” She mumbled, biting on her bottom lip.

“Why don’t you wear those shoes you wear for work?”

“Flats? Mum’ll get mad.”

“It’s your wedding, you should wear what you want.”

“Our wedding, James.” She teased him, slipping her hand into his. “I have an idea.” They took off running out of the store and headed to the other side of the mall. They stopped in front of the store the Doctor was always in since they carried Converses. Rose pulled him inside and found a pair of light blue Converses. “What if we had matching shoes? You could wear dark blue and I could get these.”

“I think that’s a brilliant idea.” Walking over to the other wall, he found a pair of dark blue ones and held them up.

Grinning, Rose nodded her head. “Perfect.”

After paying for their shoes, they walked hand in hand throughout the mall. Neither really needed anything but they didn’t want to go home yet. Rose kept sneaking glances at the Doctor, a smile on her face.

“Do I have something on me?” He finally questioned after catching her looking at him again.

“No. I’m just happy and you’re the reason.”

“Oh, well in that case.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and tucked her into his side. “I like to keep the reasons why I’m happy close, hope you don’t mind.”

Rose started laughing, burying her face into his shoulder. Sometimes he could be an awkward flirt but she wouldn’t give him up for the world.

The next month flew by and before either of them knew it, it was the day before their wedding. The girls had taken Rose out for her bachelorette party and the Doctor out for his bachelor party a few nights ago. Martha had kindly returned Rose’s gesture from her own party and made sure the last place they stopped at was where the blokes were. The Doctor had almost left his bachelor party when Jack decided that going to a strip club was a good idea. Donna still wasn’t talking to him.

Rose was leaving the house in a few hours since Jackie decided that she needed to spend a night away from the Doctor, insisting that it would be good for them. Rose had wanted to disagree but one look from her mother had stopped that. As she was packing her overnight bag and her suitcase for their honeymoon, the Doctor was lying on their bed, watching her.

“It’s still creepy when you do that.” She remarked, stuffing one more thing into her overnight bag.

“Will it be creepy after tomorrow?”

“Yes.” With a laugh, she climbed onto the bed and lay next to him.

“I’ll miss you tonight.”

“I’ll miss you too.” Turning on her side she lay next to him, her head propped up on her hand so she could see him. “You could call me tonight. Mum didn’t say we couldn’t talk on the phone. She just said we couldn’t see each other.”

“I’m sure Jackie will have you busy enough and you won’t have time to talk.”

“I think she might be too tired to keep me doing stuff too late. This pregnancy isn’t easy on her.” While Rose was excited she was going to have a little sister, she was worried about her mum. Luckily Tony had started school so he was there most of the day and her mum had been able to take it easy. “Dad said she’s been sleeping more and more. Her doctor said it was normal but she’s still going there every two weeks. I just hope she doesn’t have the baby while we’re gone.”

“We’ll come back home right away if she does.”

Rose shook her head softly, running her fingers up and down his chest. “Mum and Dad both said not to. Said we could see her when we get back.”

“Everything is going to be fine.” Sitting up a bit, the Doctor leaned over and pressed several tender kisses on her lips before pulling her into his chest. He buried his face into her neck, keeping her close to him.

“I know.” Running her fingers through his hair, she pressed a kiss to his hairline. “I stole one of your shirts to sleep in tonight.” She whispered to him, nuzzling her nose against his ear.

Pressing a kiss to her neck, he lifted his head up to kiss her. “I’m going to run out of shirts.”

“We’ll get you more.” Rose checked her watch to see the time. Donna would be there soon to pick her up. Donna would be staying with her at her parents’ house along with Martha. In the morning, Amy would be coming over and they would all get ready together. She wished she would have been able to stay at her house, but her mother put her foot down. “Walk me downstairs?”

“Of course.” He got off the bed before helping her off the bed. After checking to make sure she had everything, he grabbed her overnight bag to bring downstairs. He would get Jack to bring their suitcases with him tomorrow when they left for the ceremony. Right after the reception, they would head to the airport to catch a flight to Cape Town, South Africa where they would spend their honeymoon.

When they got to the front door, Rose checked to see if Donna had arrived. Not seeing her car, she took her bag from the Doctor, giving him a smile. “So last night as a single man, what do you have planned?”

“Oh you know, probably try to call my fiancé, see if I can get her to stay up all night on the phone with me.”

“Mm. She must really love you to agree to do that.”

“I’m a lucky man.”

Rose leaned her head against his chest, smiling to herself. “I’m a very lucky girl too.”

“Why what are you doing tonight as your last single night?”

“Let my fiancé convince me that staying up all night is a good idea.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned his chin on top of her head. He held her in his arms until they heard Donna’s car pull up to the house followed by a car horn. Leaning down, he captured her lips in one last kiss. “I love you.”

Kissing him back, she grinned. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? I’ll be the one in white.”

“Save me a dance?”

“You can have them all.” With one more kiss she left the house, closing the door behind her.

The Doctor looked out the window, watching as his sister drove away with his soon to be bride, a grin on his face.

He had called her later that night and they tried to stay up all night but somewhere around one, Rose fell asleep. Not wanting to end the call, he placed the phone on the bed next to him and fell asleep. If anyone asked what either of them did the night before their wedding, they would both say they watched something on television.

The ceremony was set to start at half three, followed by the reception starting at five, which would hopefully give everyone a chance to drive over to the hall. Rose had been nervous about her dress since her mother had been given her a hard time about it. But when Jackie saw her oldest in her wedding dress, all past thoughts were gone. Jackie gushed over the dress which made Rose less nervous. After slipping her shoes on, she sent a picture of them to the Doctor with a smiley face, letting him know she would see him soon. He sent her a picture back of his own, saying he couldn’t wait. Around three, the photographer came in and took some candid shots of the bridal party getting ready. Tony had been in with them and asked for a picture with Rose, to which she complied.

Once everyone was ready, they drove over to the park where the ceremony was taking place. The Doctor, Jack, Mickey, Rory, and Wilf, along with all of the other guests were already there. Rose took a deep breath before getting out of the car with her father. She stood off to the side, out of view while her mum walked down to her seat. Turning her head, she tried to see if she could spot the Doctor, but she couldn’t see him without risking him seeing her.

“Rose?”

Looking up, she gave her father a smile. “Yeah, Dad?”

“I never thought I would get to do this with you. I’m really glad I get to.”

Rose blinked back her tears, hugging her father. “Me too, Dad. Me too.”

Soon the music started and Amy, Martha, and Donna got into line with Rory, Mickey, and Jack. Jack had come over to her before the music started to give her a hug and a kiss, on the cheek, from the Doctor.

“I offered to kiss you on the lips but he wouldn’t let me.” He winked at her before going back over to his wife and kissing her. Rose was glad they had made up.

Pete squeezed her hand and soon it was her turn to walk down the aisle. As soon as she spotted the Doctor she shot him a grin, winking playfully at him. He just stared at her, never imaging she would look as beautiful as she did in that very moment. Later on, they would hang the picture the photographer took of him in her office. It was a moment she always wanted to remember. Pete placed her hand into the Doctor’s and kissed her on the cheek before moving to stand by Jackie.

They promised to love one another through good times and in rough times, to laugh and cry together, to be patient and kind, to always see the best in each other and to always encourage the other and to always take the good with the bad. They promised to always be best friends and to love unconditionally and to walk beside each other through every adventure life brings them. They sealed their vows with a kiss and Rose slipped a ring onto the Doctor’s finger and he slipped one onto hers before kissing the back of her hand.

With the officiant’s announcement that they were husband and wife, The Doctor wrapped his arm around her waist and dipped her low before kissing her soundly. He pulled her back up and they shared a laugh as everyone clapped. Walking back up the aisle hand in hand, he brought their joined hands up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand before getting into the car that would bring them down the road where they would take pictures.

“You look breathtakingly beautiful.” He told her, drinking her in with his eyes.

Blushing, she brought their joined hands into her lap, looking at him. “You look quite dashing yourself.”

“I love you.” He whispered, moving his head closer to hers.

“I love you more.” She grinned, moving closer to him as well.

They shared another kiss as they sat in the car for a few minutes, taking some time to be alone. Rose fixed her makeup quickly before they got out of the car to take some pictures. Once their pictures were done, they did several group shots and family shots. Rose’s favorite group shot was of the Doctor holding Tony on his shoulders while the rest of their family made faces in the background. Her favorite shot of her and the Doctor was one they hadn’t posed for. They had been waiting for everyone and Rose had her head against his chest and he had his arms around her. He was whispering random things to her and making her laugh. She had had her head thrown back mid laugh and he was just staring at her, a smile of his own on his face.

Once pictures were done, they drove over to the reception hall. Rose and the Doctor danced to the song they had finally picked, _Oh Darling_ , the Doctor keeping her close to him as they moved. Rose had wanted something that was slow, but the Doctor had wanted something a bit more upbeat. But when Rose heard this song, she knew the lyrics fit them perfectly. When the song was over, they shared a kiss before carrying on with the reception. She had danced with her father while the Doctor danced with Jackie, much to Rose’s amusement. Jack took her out on the dance floor while the Doctor danced with Donna. Rose even danced with Tony for a bit before he got too tired and went to find a chair to rest in.

They snuck into the backroom and changed into the clothes they would travel to Cape Town in once the reception was over, handing her dress and his tux to Pete. Rose hugged her mum and dad goodbye and thanked them for everything they did for them. She made them promise to call her if anything happened with the baby, even though they said everything would be fine.

The Doctor held his hand out to Rose a smile on his face. “Ready to go Mrs. Noble?”

“Lead the way, Mr. Noble.” Returning his smile, she slipped her hand into his as they made their way to the car. On the way to the airport, Rose snuggled against is side, laying her head against his shoulder.

“You know when you’re waiting for something and you feel like it takes forever to get there but it does and you’re so excited you don’t know what to do first?” She questioned, tilting her head up to look at him.

“Yeah. Why?”

“That’s how I felt today. We’ve been planning for months and now it’s over. I’m so happy we’re married and I get to spend the rest of my life with you and there’s so much to look forward to and I don’t know where to start.”

The Doctor kissed her lips, giving her a smile. “Could always start there.”

Chuckling softly, she kissed him quickly. “Mm. That sounds like a perfect plan.”

While they weren’t sure what life was going to bring them, they knew no matter what, they would have each other. Life would always bring a bit of uncertainty, but with the bad, came the good and they were looking forward to a life of both, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used for the title and their first dance is Oh Darling by Plug in Stereo. Only one more chapter to go!


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they settle into married life, Rose learns to adjust to being married to the Doctor. After Jackie and Donna have their babies, the Doctor asks if they can start a family.

The two weeks they were on their honeymoon flew by. Rose hadn’t wanted to leave but they both needed to go back to work and Rose wanted to be back for her baby sister’s birth. They had been home for a little over a week when Pete called Rose and let her know that her mother was in labor. They had rushed over to the hospital and took Tony from Pete so he could be in the room with Jackie. Around ten that night, Jackie had given birth to a healthy baby girl, named Maddison Elizabeth Tyler. After Jackie was settled in her room again, Rose, Tony, and the Doctor went into the room to see how she was doing. Tony sat on the bed next to his mum while Rose held her baby sister.

While Jackie was talking to Tony, Rose went over to the Doctor, asking if he wanted to hold the baby. After he agreed, she showed him how to hold his arms before laying the baby in them.

“She’s tiny.” He commented, trying not to move around. He had never held a baby before that day and wasn’t sure if he should move.

Rose chuckled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “They usually are. Donna’s baby will be this tiny too.”

“I don’t want to drop her.”

“You won’t. You have a good hold on her.”

The Doctor held the baby for a few more minutes before handing her back to her sister. Rose rocked her gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Sitting on the couch in the room, Rose gestured for Tony to come over to them. Rose held the baby up and hand Tony sit on her lap. Once he was settled, she moved her arms so they were over him and the baby partially rested in his lap.

“Rose, why is she so small?”

Laughing softly she pressed a kiss to his head. “That’s how babies are when they’re born. Even you were this small. As she grows and gets older, she’ll get bigger, just like you did.”

The Doctor took a picture of the three of them on his phone before he stepped outside the room, letting them have a bit of family time. He called Donna and let her know that Jackie had the baby and to let her know everyone was doing fine. They spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up.

Rose came out a few minutes later, seeing him leaning against the wall. Going over to him, she stood in front of him, resting her hands on his arms. “You alright?”

Nodding his head, the Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. “Can we have one?” He questioned after a few minutes of silence. While they had talked about kids, they never discussed when they would have them.

Taking a breath, she twisted her head to look up at him. Yes, she wanted to be a mum but they had just gotten married. She had wanted a bit of time just the two of them before they had kids. Giving him a small smile, she let her thoughts collect before answering him. “I was hoping we could wait a bit. We only just got married, James. I’d like some time where it’s just us.”

Letting out a breath, he nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s fine.” He gave her a tight smile before letting her out of the hug. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he looked down at the floor.

Biting her lip, she slipped her arm through his, leaning her head against his shoulder. She didn’t want him to be upset with her, but they were young still, she didn’t want to have a baby just yet. “I love you.”

He gaze softened as he looked at her. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he slipped his hand into hers. “I love you more.”

“Not possible.” She quipped, giving his hand a squeeze. This would be a sensitive subject for them for a while, that she knew but they would be fine. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“You’re my family, I’ll be there for everything you want me there for.”

Leaning up, she kissed his lips quickly, a smile on her face. “Do you want to head home? I have to get up early to get Tony off to school.”

“You’re bringing him back to ours, right?”

“I can. Let me just go tell Dad.” Rose didn’t want to impose her brother on the Doctor, but at the same time, didn’t want to be away from her husband, so she was grateful for his offer. “You don’t mind?”

“Nope. Tony is my best bud. He can come over whenever.”

“Best bud?” Her eyebrow quirked, a smile on her face. Whatever the two of them got up to while she wasn’t around was something she never wanted to know.

“Yup. Let’s go collect Tony and say goodnight to your parents.”

When they walked into the room, Rose spotted Tony asleep on the couch while her father held Maddison. Jackie had fallen asleep as well, a very well deserved sleep. The Doctor carefully picked Tony up while Rose said goodbye to her father and sister, promising to bring Tony by tomorrow after he was done with school. Pete handed her an overnight bag for Tony with his stuff for school in it. It would be one less thing Rose had to worry about in the morning. It wasn’t a long drive from the hospital to the house, so it hadn’t taken them long to get home. The Doctor had offered to carry Tony up to the guest room so Rose followed behind them. After getting Tony changed for bed, Rose tucked him in, putting a nightlight on in case he woke up.

Rose walked into their bedroom and saw the Doctor sitting on the bed in his pajamas. Going into their bathroom, she spotted his t-shirt on the counter, a smile coming across her lips at his gesture. Changing into the shirt, she tossed her clothes into the hamper before going back into their bedroom. Making her way over to the bed, she turned her light off, so only his lamp was illuminating the room. “James?”

“Mm?” He had laid down in the bed while waiting for her. Pulling back the blanket, he patted the spot next to him.

Lying next to him, she lay her head against his shoulder, pulling her legs up so they were against his side. “How many kids do you want?”

“Three.” He quietly admitted after a few minutes. “How many do you want?”

“I’d like three. I’m grateful that I have siblings now, but I wish I would have had them when I was a kid.”

With his arm around her, he ran his hand down her leg gently. “We may have fought at times but I was grateful I had Donna. I wish we weren’t so far apart in age.”

“I think two or three years between is good.”

It was quiet for a few minute as the Doctor’s thoughts jumbled together. He understood Rose’s request to wait, but seeing her today holding her sister, it made him want that for them, for her. Feeling her hand on his chest, he snapped out of his thoughts, looking at her. She had let their legs tangle together while her head rested on his chest. Running his hand under the shirt she had on, he rested his hand on her back. “So you’re not saying no?”

“I’m not saying no. I want kids, especially with you.” Leaning up, she propped herself up on her elbows to look at him. “I just want to be with you for a bit, have lazy Sundays, and cuddle every night. I promise you though, we’re going to have those three kids we both want and we’ll be amazing parents.”

He knew she was right. They had only been married a few weeks. They didn’t need to rush. Leaning up, he kissed her slowly, pulling her body down to his. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, giving her a smile. “Thank you.”

Rose returned his smile, nuzzling his nose with hers. Turning on her side, her back was to him, she felt him spoon against her, pushing her t-shirt up so his hand resting on her stomach. It made him feel better, to be able to feel her skin as he slept so she didn’t complain about being cold.

Two months later they were back at the hospital, only this time it had been Donna that gave birth. Thankfully, it was a Friday night so they didn’t have to worry about being up early the next day. The Doctor had almost gotten himself kicked out of the hospital when he told her this, but Rose got him to stay in the hall with her while Jack stayed with Donna. Rose and the Doctor hadn’t mentioned kids since the night her mum gave birth but it was still in the back of their minds. Two weeks ago, Martha had announced that she was ten weeks pregnant. She would continue to go to school up until her due date, and would then take a semester off before returning. Rose felt like everyone around them was having a baby and she didn’t know how it made her feel.

Amy and Rory had announced their engagement six weeks ago and while Rose was excited for her friends, she was feeling a bit down and wasn’t sure from what. When the Doctor sat down next to her, she leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. Maybe she was a bit jealous that everyone around her had something exciting going on when all she had been up to was working. Her mum was settling in with baby Maddie and Tony was excited that he finally got to be a big brother. Picking her head up, she cleared her thoughts from her mind.

“Does it normally take this long?” The Doctor mumbled next to her, running his fingers through his hair.

“It’s her first so yeah. She’s only been in there a few hours and the nurse said she was only six centimeters. Probably won’t be that much longer.” Nudging him with her shoulder, she gave him a smile. “You’re going to be an Uncle, are you excited?”

“I am.” He admitted, a smile on his face. When Donna told him she was having a girl, he went out with Rose to get them some things for the baby. His favorite items were the onesies he found that said ‘I love my Uncle’ and ‘I love my Aunt’. Donna had enjoyed them as well.

“Did you bring the bear with you?”

Nodding his head, he held up the bag that was beside him. “They’re going to name her Jane Verity Harkness.”

“That’s a powerful name.” Taking his hand in hers, she laced their fingers together. “Verity after your mum, right?”

“Yeah.” Turning his head, he looked at Rose. “I wish they could be here for this.”

Giving him a soft smile, she moved closer to him. “I do too, for both you and Donna. They may not be here physically, but they’re in both your heart and Donna’s.” Squeezing his hand gently, she kept her eyes on him.

“I know.”

“Do you want to go visit them tomorrow? We haven’t been since in a while.”

Letting out a breath, he nodded his head. “I’d like that.” He bent his head a bit and kissed her lips.

Kissing him back, she placed her arm over his neck, keeping him close. She knew he still missed his parents and it was hard for him to talk about them. Breaking their kiss a few minutes later, Rose leaned her forehead against his. “If we have a son, can we give him your father’s name as his middle name?”

His heart swelled with admiration for his wife. She would do anything to make him feel better, to make sure he held onto his family. “I’d like that.” He moved in to kiss her again but were interrupted by Jack, clearing his throat. The Doctor stood up, grabbing Rose’s hand. “How is she?”

“Almost ready to push. She wanted to see you for a minute before they took her to delivery.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Giving Rose’s hand a squeeze he let go before going into his sister’s room. Walking over to the bed, he kissed her cheek. “Everything okay?”

“I’m fine. They’re going to bring me back soon.” She squeezed his hand when another contraction hit her. Letting out a breath, she looked up at her brother. “Jack and I, we wanted to know if you and Rose would be her Godparents.”

He felt honored that they would ask them to be Godparents. He knew Rose wouldn’t mind so he nodded his head. “Of course. We’d be happy to.”

“Have you two discussed kids?”

“Yeah, a bit. We’re going to wait a bit longer to have them but we want them.”

“You two are going to make great parents.”

He smiled gratefully at her, squeezing her hand gently. “You and Jack are going to be great parents as well. This little girl is going to be lucky.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes watered up and he immediately felt bad. Handing her a tissue, he rocked back on his heels. Jack came in a few minutes later with the nurse, saying they were ready to take her. The Doctor wished them luck and headed back into the waiting area to sit with Rose.

Leaning back in his chair, he stretched his arm over the back of her chair. “They asked us to be Godparents.”

“Really?” She questioned softly, leaning against his side. “Did you say yes?”

He chuckled, wrapping his arm over her shoulders. “Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t check with you.”

“You didn’t need to check with me on this. Donna and Jack are our family. I’d do anything for them.”

They were in the waiting room for an hour before Jack came back to get them. Donna and baby Jane were resting in Donna’s room, both mum and baby were doing fine. When the Doctor walked in, he took a picture of Donna holding Jane with his phone before slipping the device back in his pocket. When Donna asked if he wanted to hold his niece, he didn’t hesitate. He sat down in the chair, holding her close to his body. She was so tiny. He smiled at Rose, gesturing for her to come over.

Rose walked over to him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. She hugged Donna and Jack, congratulating them. “She’s beautiful.”

Jack grinned, sitting on the bed next to Donna. “Like her Mom.”

Rose giggled softly before turning her head to watch the Doctor. She snuck her phone out and took a picture of him holding the baby. After a while, the Doctor handed the baby to Rose, a smile on his face. “Go see Aunt Rose, little one.” Rose cradled the baby close to her, cooing softly. They stayed for another ten minutes before letting Donna and Jane get some rest. Rose let Jack know if they needed anything to let them know.

When they got home later and were lying in bed, Rose watched the Doctor as he slept. She could see the look on his face when he held Jane that he wanted to be a father. They were both ready and prepared for it, but she was nervous. Would she be a good mum? She could tell from the way he was with Tony and even with Jane earlier, he would be a good dad. This was something he wanted and Rose wanted to give it to him. With all of her thoughts roaming around, it took Rose a while to fall asleep.

The Doctor woke her up early the next morning, despite having gone to be quite late the night before. She hadn’t wanted to get out of bed and she sent him to get ready for the day before her. She stayed in bed until he got out of the shower when she went to go take a shower herself. After breakfast, they made their way over to the cemetery to see his parents. They sat much like they always did with him on the ground and her in his lap. He had printed the picture of Donna holding Jane and placed it on the ground along with the flowers they picked up. They stayed there for a few hours, the Doctor telling them about what he was doing at work, letting them know how Donna was doing, and Wilf. Donna would be going home the day after tomorrow and they were going to bring Wilf over to visit Jane.

Later that afternoon, after they got home, the Doctor and Rose lay in bed. She had on his t-shirt and he was in a pair of shorts. She was dozing off, when the Doctor whispered her name quietly. “Hm?” She mumbled, her eyes closed.

“Can we have a baby?”

Rose opened her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. “Yes. Seeing you with Jane made me realize that I do want a baby.”

“Really?” His eyes widened, a smile appearing on his face.

“Yes, really. Now, kiss me or let me go to sleep.”

Their mouths met in a soft kiss as he pulled her closer, his hand resting on her back. They exchanged gentle kisses for a little while longer before Rose pulled her lips from his. She was really exhausted and wanted to take a nap. He let her use his chest as a pillow while she slept, his fingers running through her hair as he watched her. He had wanted to stay awake but eventually the need for sleep came over him.

They hadn’t gotten pregnant right away. In fact, after three months of trying and nothing happening, Rose decided to go to the doctor to make sure there were no issues. When the tests came back and everything was normal, they decided to stop trying so hard and not think about it as much. To get her mind off of it, he decided to surprise her and take her on a day trip to Liverpool. They visited the art gallery and _The Beatles Story._ It had been nice to spend a day, just the two of them away from everything. They took the trip by train so neither of them had to worry about driving and Rose got to cuddle up with him the entire train ride.

A month later, Rose had a follow up doctor’s appointment. The Doctor was supposed to go with her but a last minute emergency turned up at work and he was unable to go. When she got home later that night, the Doctor was already home and working in the basement downstairs. Heading into the basement, she saw him at his work bench, working on something.

“What are you working on?” She questioned softly, coming to stand by him.

“Tony’s car broke and I’m trying to fix it for him. I’m almost done so we’ll be able to bring it back to him when we visit over the weekend.” He glanced up at her. “Did your appointment go okay?”

“Yeah. The doctor said everything is fine. Said to keep taking the vitamins.” Kissing his cheek she watched him for a few minutes. “I got you something while I was out today.” She placed a box down in front of him.

“What is it?”

“Open it and you’ll find out.”

“Spoilsport.” He quipped, unwrapping the box. Pulling the cover off, he pulled out the smallest pair of Converse sneakers he had ever seen. “Who are these supposed to be for?”

“Our baby.” Pulling a picture from her back pocket, she handed it to him. It was a sonogram of their baby.

“What?” Taking the picture, a shocked express spread across his face as he studied it.

“I’m two months along. Apparently the home test I took came up a false positive as did the test the doctor did when I went last month. She said it can happen sometimes. Something to do with the hormones.” Taking her phone out of her pocket, she played a sound clip for him of their baby’s heartbeat. “She wanted to do a sonogram to make sure everything looked okay and that’s when she saw the heartbeat. She took blood today for a more extensive hcG test to see exactly but she said with the size of the fetus, I’m around eight weeks.”

“You’re having a baby?”

Rose nodded her head, giving him a smile. “ _We’re_ having a baby.”

He finally turned around to look at her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he hugged her tightly, burying his face into her neck. Getting down on his knees, he lifted her shirt up and pressed a kiss to her still flat stomach. “I can’t wait to meet you.” He pressed another kiss there before standing up, resting his hand over her stomach.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Excited and nervous, but fine. How are you feeling?”

“Same. But you and me, we’ll be amazing parents, yeah?”

“Definitely.” Leaning up, she kissed him gently, placing her hand on top of his.

Six and a half months later, Rose gave birth to their daughter, Genevieve Isabelle Noble. Though she was early, she was quite healthy and the doctor saw no concerns with her health. They decided to call her Ginny as a nickname. It had been confusing to explain to Tony that Genevieve was his niece. Jackie said she would explain it when he was older. The Doctor was a completely doting father. He had set up her nursery by himself, went with Rose to all of her appointments, and made sure his little girl had whatever she needed. They had asked Donna and Jack to be her godparents. They brought Jane over to see her new cousin and they all smiled when Jane sat next to her mum to look at Ginny, her eyes wide as she said ‘baby’. Mickey and Martha brought their son, Lucas to visit and much to the Doctor’s pride, Ginny would cry whenever Martha or Rose would lay them next to each other.

Rose lay in bed a few nights after they brought Ginny home, a smile on her face as she watched her husband rock their daughter to sleep. Once she was settled, he lay her down in the bassinet before cuddling up to his wife in bed. As she fell asleep, she felt him kiss the top of her head, whispering an ‘I love you’ to her. She wouldn’t give a single moment of this up for anything in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for sticking with this story. I hope you have enjoyed it!


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